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Senate Democrats Block Republican STEM Bill

As expected, on Wednesday, December 5, 2012, Senate Democrats blocked consideration of a Republican bill that was passed in the House of Representatives on November 30, 2012.  The bill would have given 55,000 immigrant (permanent resident) visas to foreign graduates of American universities with advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The bill was opposed by most Democrats because it would also eliminate the Diversity Visa (DV) lottery program, which distributes 55,000 green cards to foreign nationals from countries with traditionally low immigration to the United States, thereby avoiding an increase in the overall number of immigrant visas available each year.

Republicans had approved the STEM bill to show that they are willing to act on measures to fix the current immigration system.  Democrats, however, argued that the DV lottery gives permanent residency to many immigrants from countries who would otherwise be excluded, and that one immigration program should not be approved in favor of another immigration program.