Trump preaches populism at plant
PRESIDENTIAL VISIT /
KENOSHA, Wis. — Turning back to the economic populism that helped drive his election campaign, President Donald Trump signed an order Tuesday he said should help American workers whose jobs are threatened by skilled immigrants.
At the headquarters of tool manufacturer Snapon Inc., Trump signed an order aimed at curbing what his administration says are hiring abuses in a visa program used by U.S. technology companies. Dubbed “Buy American and Hire American,” the directive follows a series of recent Trump reversals on economic policies.
“We are going to defend our workers, protect our jobs and finally put America first,” Trump said.
Much like some prior orders, however, Trump’s executive action Tuesday essentially looks for detailed reports rather than making decisive changes. In this case, the reports are about granting visas to highly skilled foreign workers and ensuring that government purchasing programs buy American-made goods as required by law.
Trump campaigned last year on promises to overhaul U.S. trade and regulatory policy. He returned Tuesday to the economic tough talk of his campaign, saying: “We’re going to make some very big changes or we are going to get rid of NAFTA for once and for all.”
In his new directive, the president is targeting the H-1B visa program, which the White House says undercuts U.S. workers by bringing in large numbers of cheaper, foreign workers and driving down wages. The tech industry has argued that the H-1B program is needed because it encourages students to stay in the U.S. after getting degrees in high-tech specialties — and because companies can’t always find enough American workers with the skills they need.
The new order would direct U.S. agencies to propose rules to prevent immigration fraud and abuse in the program. They also would be asked to offer changes so that H-1B visas are awarded to the most-skilled or highest-paid applicants.
The number of requests for H-1B visas declined this year by about 15 percent, or roughly 37,000 applications, but the total was still nearly 200,000, far more than the 85,000 limit.
During his remarks, Trump also promised to find a solution to a trade dispute with Canada that has left dairy farmers in Wisconsin and New York without a market they had for their product. Trump said Canada has been “very, very unfair” to dairy farmers.
Canada has decided to impose import taxes on ultra-filtered milk, a protein liquid concentrate used to make cheese. It had been duty free, but Canada changed course after milk producers there complained.
“We are going to defend our workers, protect our jobs and finally put America first.”
— President Donald Trump