Scientific Immigration Reform

     There is a small segment of immigration reform which tends to go relatively unnoticed. It involves US visas for foreign citizens with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics training taken abroad or at US universities.
     Sen. Orin Hatch of Utah has proposed increasing the number of visas for those foreign nationals. The impetus comes from American technology companies, who claim they have difficulty in filling positions with appropriately trained persons. This is in spite of the fact that there are already a significant number of unemployed American scientists.
     I have no objection to increasing the number of scientists on American soil, either foreign or American, but one aspect of Sen. Hatch's bill troubles me. It includes another expenditure of federal funds to states to support science education and re-train unemployed workers. If bringing already trained foreign scientists to the US solves the problem of apparent shortage, why would we need to spend taxpayer money educating others?
     If for some reason the American public finds it objectionable to have a number of foreign scientists employed in the US, why not have an amendment to the bill requiring that all green card (visa) holders must apply for American citizenship and be accepted within five years or return to their home countries.
     Not mentioned in the Chemical and Engineering News article of February 6 is the matter of employment by governmental or private organizations, which are engaged in defense work requiring confidentiality. Scientific positions in those organizations should always be reserved for American citizens. While we have had difficulty with allegiance of some American citizens, it is fairly obvious that difficulties could be e exacerbated with non-American citizens in those same responsibiliti