Sanders doubles down on attacks on Musk over H-1B visas: ‘Dead wrong’
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is doubling down on his attacks against tech billionaire Elon Musk over H-1B visas, telling him he’s “dead wrong” about the employment visa.
In an op-ed published Wednesday on Fox News, Sanders highlighted the ongoing debate about H-1B visas and other guest worker programs as President-elect Trump prepares to implement his immigration plan.
The H-1B visa is a temporary, non-immigrant work permit that’s become part of the political debate.
Some say the visa attracts professional talent to the U.S., and others say the program allows employers to hire outside the country and pay workers less than they would if they hired an American citizen.
Musk, who was tapped to co-lead Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency,” has defended the visa program, arguing companies can hire workers they need that they can’t find in the country. Musk’s social platform X lashed out against opponents in the debate and Trump came out in support of the program.
In his op-ed, Sanders highlighted the ongoing debate about the work program and Musk’s remarks.
“Billionaires like Elon Musk claim it is crucial to our economy, arguing that the United States faces a shortage of highly skilled engineers and technology professionals,” Sanders wrote. “They are dead wrong.”
Sander said that H-1B visas are not intended to employ the "best and brightest" but instead replace American workers with people who can be paid lower wages and people who "often live as indentured servants."
“The cheaper it is to hire guest workers, the more money the multi-billionaire owners or large corporations make,” Sanders said.
He argued that the program hurts American workers and can also threaten the livelihoods of H-1B visa holders who complain about unfair work conditions.
“If there is truly a major shortage of skilled tech workers in this country, why did Tesla lay-off over 7,500 American workers last year – including many software developers and engineers at its factory in Austin, Texas – while applying to hire thousands of H-1B guest workers?” Sanders wrote.
It's not the first time Sanders slammed Musk over the matter. In a statement last week, Sanders wrote on X that Musk was wrong about the visa program.