| The chairman of the giant U.S. software company
Microsoft is calling on the U.S. government to attract more high-skilled
foreign workers to the United States to keep the country competitive in a
global economy. Bill Gates made his comments in testimony before a Senate
panel Wednesday, as VOA's Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.
Bill Gates expressed concern about the U.S. immigration system, saying
limits on the number of visas for high-skilled workers, bureaucratic
delays in processing them and exhaustive security checks following the
September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks are deterring talented foreign
workers from seeking jobs in the United States.
In testimony before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Committee, Gates warned that the United States could risk losing its
competitive edge to other countries if Congress does not reform the
immigration system.
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates testifies on Capitol Hill in
Washington
"Countries like Canada and Australia have been beneficiaries
of our system, which discourages these people [high skilled foreign
workers] with both the limits and the long waits, and what the process
feels like as they go through the security checks," he said.
In the coming weeks, Congress is expected to consider immigration
reform legislation, including efforts to attract more high-skilled workers
and streamline the visa
application process.
Gates said he believes it is possible to do background security checks
without having the process become too burdensome.
He also called for ways to make it easier for more high-skilled workers
to become permanent residents to help retain talent, particularly in the
information technology, or IT, field.
"The IT industry I guarantee will be in the United States to the degree
that the smart people are here in the United States, and that is why I
believe it is important to maximize that number [of high-skilled foreign
workers]," he added.
Gates urged lawmakers to find ways to keep foreign students in the
United States, saying if the country is going to invest in educating them,
it should also benefit from that investment by encouraging them to work
here.
He urged the federal government to invest more money in education and
training, and in research and development (R&D).
"Federal research funding is vital," he explained. "Unfortunately,
while other countries and regions, such as China and the European Union,
are increasing their public investment in R & D, federal research
spending in the United States is not keeping pace."
Gates suggested an increase of 10 percent annually in U.S. funding for
research for the next seven years.
He also urged more teacher training and higher math curriculum
standards. He said the nation should set a goal of doubling the number of
science, technology and math graduates by 2015. | 
