{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.billnelson.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lawmakers-seek-to-curb-abuses-of-foreign-worker-visa-program", "Lawmakers seek to curb abuses of foreign worker visa program", "2015-11-10", "2015", "2015-11", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Bill Nelson", "N000032", "www.billnelson.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and a handful of Senate colleagues filed legislation today to help curb abuses in the H-1B visa program, which was originally designed to attract highly-skilled foreign workers to fill U.S. jobs in fields experiencing labor shortages.\nThe bipartisan bill filed today would explicitly prohibit any employer from replacing a U.S. worker with an H-1B visa holder. It would also require employers to prove that they first tried to recruit American workers prior to hiring an H-1B visa holder and bar companies that employ more than 50 people from hiring any additional H-1B employees if more than half of their employees are already H-1B visa holders.\nThis program was created to help fill jobs where there were labor shortages, not to take jobs away from hard-working Americans, Nelson said.\nNelson called for a federal investigation into misuses of the H-1B visa program earlier this summer after media reports raised questions about whether U.S. companies are using the program to displace American workers.\nCongress created the H-1B visa program in 1990 to allow a limited number of high-tech workers to enter the U.S. to fill jobs where there was said to be a shortage of U.S. workers.\nIn order to return to this programs original intent, the lawmakers bill would prioritize allocation of H-1B visas to foreign workers with advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math. It would also require the U.S. Department of Labor to establish a hotline for displaced U.S. workers, and would give the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Labor greater authority to investigate potential fraud and abuses in the system.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://www.billnelson.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/lawmakers-seek-to-curb-abuses-of-foreign-worker-visa-program"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.2956409957259893, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}