Legislative Background
Recent Action on Guest Worker Proposals
Bills to reform the H-2A and H-2B programs, covering the hiring of temporary foreign workers, as well as bills to establish new guest worker programs, have been introduced in recent Congresses. No action has been taken beyond committee referral, however, though House and Senate committees held related hearings. Bush Administration Proposal. On January 7, 2004, President George W. Bush outlined an immigration reform proposal, at the center of which was a new temporary worker program. According to the White House, the temporary worker program is intended "to match willing foreign workers with willing U.S. employers when no Americans can be…
