Building a Bipartisan Consensus and Rebuilding Communities: A Job Creation Bill for America's Hardest Hit Areas

By John Conyers, Jr.

U.S> Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

I can think of few issues that have led to more heated rhetoric and emotions than immigration. Much of the recent focus has rightly been on fixing our broken immigration system and what to do about the undocumented population that has been living and working in the United States, in many cases for years. These are important issues, and I am committed to finding humane solutions in keeping with our tradition as a nation of immigrants.

However, I also know that immigration policy can be a tool to spur new foreign investment, business development and job creation in the United States. So, I have worked with my Republican colleague on the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jason Chaffetz from Utah, to introduce H.R. 6210, the American Investment and Job Creation Act of 2012. This bill would amend our immigration laws to prioritize existing employment-based green cards for entrepreneurs who start new businesses in the United States and create jobs for American workers, particularly in economically troubled areas, such as Detroit.

Currently, our immigration system provides green cards to those who fill jobs in the American economy, but not to those who create jobs. And our laws provide only temporary visas, such as E-2 "treaty investor visas," for foreign entrepreneurs. This makes no sense. The lack of a path to permanent residency deters many entrepreneurs from helping to revitalize our economy and lowering the unemployment rate. Studieshave shown that immigrants were key founders of 25% of all engineering and technology startups in the United States from 1995 to 2005. These are businesses and jobs we need here in Michigan.

The American Investment and Job Creation Act would address this by making existing employment-based green cards available to those who establish new businesses and create and sustain jobs for American workers. It will specifically help cities like Detroit that have been especially affected by the economic recession by increasing employment opportunities for American workers and beginning to reverse decades of population decline.

This is a common-sense bill that refocuses our immigration laws so that they better serve the needs of our country and its citizens. Rep. Chaffetz and I are pleased to have support from various business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Venture Capital Association, the National Small Business Association and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.

The bipartisan support for this bill shows that there are places where we can work across the aisle with the goal of achieving incremental, but important, results. Much work needs to be done to repair our broken immigration system, and we must continue to rebuild urban and rural areas devastated by the financial meltdown and the subsequent recession. The American Investment and Job Creation Act is a step forward, and it is an immigration bill that people from all sides should be able to support.

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Conyers Applauds President Obama’s Creation of New National Office to Ensure that African-American Youth Are Better Prepared for High School, College, and a Career

Says Initiative Could Increase College Graduation Rates, and Break the Tragic Cycle of High Incarceration Rates for African-Americans, but only with the Active Support of the American People

(DETROIT)— Today, Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) applauded President Obama’s new initiative to help African-American youth be better prepared for high school, college, and a career. During a ceremony at the White House, President Obama signed an Executive Order establishing the first ever “White House Initiative On Educational Excellence For African-Americans.” The initiative aims to promote best-practices in education, which will lead to more effective programming for African-American students.

President Obama’s new federal initiative builds upon a recently announced plan to make college and universities more affordable to young people, who are graduating from our nation’s universities with high levels of debt. Under the President’s new college tuition initiative, the federal government would provide more funding to colleges who keep their tuition costs down.

Representative Conyers issued the following statement in support of the new office:

                                                                                                                                                              

“For far too long, African-American youth have been left behind in our nation’s educational system, and far too many have ended up in prison.  Some of the root causes of educational failure in the African-American community have been due to a woefully inadequate federal commitment to fund successful programs like Head Start, after-school enrichment programs, and the Pell Grant college scholarship program. President Obama’s ‘White House Initiative on Educational Excellence For African- Americans’ will elevate the educational achievement of African-Americans as a national priority, so that all African-American students receive an education that fully prepares them for high school, college completion, and productive careers. In addition to President Obama’s initiative, we must fully fund technical schools, job training programs, and direct job creation programs in our nation’s inner cities.  

“This program has the potential to be one of the President’s lasting signature achievements - but only with the active involvement and support of the American people.”

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Conyers Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Spur Foreign Investment, Business Development and Job Creation in Detroit and Other Areas

(DETROIT)—Today, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Committee Member Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) introduced the American Investment and Job Creation Act of 2012 (H.R. 6210).  The AIJC Act would amend existing immigration laws to spur new foreign investment, business development and job creation in the United States, particularly in economically troubled areas, such as Detroit.  Specifically, the bill would prioritize existing employment-based green cards for entrepreneurs who start new businesses in the U.S. and create jobs for American workers.  Our immigration laws currently provide only temporary visas, such as E-2 “treaty investor visas,” for such foreign entrepreneurs. 

                                                                                                                                                            

“The American Investment and Job Creation Act will help cities like Detroit that have been especially affected by the economic recession to spur economic growth, increase employment opportunities for American workers, and begin to reverse decades of population decline,” said Conyers. 

“Currently, our immigration system provides green cards to those who fill jobs in the American economy, but not to those who create jobs.  This makes no sense.  The lack of a path to permanent residency deters many entrepreneurs from helping to revitalize our economy and lower unemployment.

“The bill would address this concern by making existing employment-based green cards available to those who establish new businesses and create and sustain jobs for American workers.  Particular emphasis is placed on small business development and job creation in areas with high unemployment or that have experienced significant losses in population.  This change will further incentivize entrepreneurs to invest in the American economy.  And that is a win-win situation.

“The American Renewal and Investment Act is a common-sense bill that refocuses our immigration laws so that they better serve the needs of our country and its citizens.  I am happy to be working with my Judiciary Committee colleague from the other side of the aisle, Jason Chaffetz, and to count the support of various business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Venture Capital Association, the National Small Business Association, and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.  This is an immigration bill that people from all sides should be able to support. I am hopeful we can move this bipartisan, commonsense legislation after the summer recess.”

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House Minority Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, Jr. Letter to Secretary Napolitano on Detroit Windsor Tunnel Bomb Threat, July 17, 2012

Letter from House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano 

regarding the recent bomb threats made against the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and the Ambassador Bridge.  

The letter asks the Department of Homeland Security to describe its role in investigating the threats and requests the Department to explain how it will update securityplans for both crossings.  DHS Secretary Napolitano is scheduled to appear before the House Judiciary Committee this Thursday. House Minority Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, Jr. Letter to Secretary Napolitano on Detroit Windsor Tun... Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©