Ohio: US Senator Bernie Moreno from Ohio has proposed the Halting International Relocation of Employment Act, known as the HIRE Act, aimed at safeguarding American workers from outsourcing by discouraging US companies from pursuing lower wages and hiring foreign labor.
This legislation, introduced on Sunday, is designed to impose a tax on any company that opts to employ foreign workers instead of Americans, with the revenue generated being allocated to workforce development programs intended to support the American middle class.
"While college graduates in America face challenges in securing employment, globalist politicians and corporate executives have spent decades relocating well-paying jobs abroad in search of minimal wages and substantial profits - those times are behind us," Moreno stated in a press release.
"It is time to advocate for working-class Americans and ensure they can work and retire with dignity. If companies choose to hire foreign workers over Americans, my bill will impact them financially: in their wallets."
The proposed legislation establishes a 25% tax on outsourcing payments, which are defined as any funds transferred by a US company or taxpayer to a foreign individual whose work benefits consumers in the United States. It also creates a "Domestic Workforce Fund" to collect the revenue generated from the outsourcing tax, which will be utilized to support apprenticeships and workforce development initiatives, according to the statement.
Moreno's legislation aimed at 'protecting American workers' follows his initiative to impose stringent penalties on executives who employ illegal immigrants.
This proposal emerges after Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis criticized the H-1B visa program, labeling it a "complete scam" and contending that it enables businesses to substitute American workers with foreign labor.
In an interview with Fox News on August 27, he asserted that companies frequently train American employees alongside H-1B visa holders, only to subsequently dismiss the Americans and retain the foreign workers. DeSantis emphasized that this behavior is intolerable and detrimental to American workers.
