CEO of SpaceX and owner of social media platform X, Elon Musk, is once again shifting his stance a bit concerning the H-1B program, now making the call for it to undergo “major reform” just a few days after declaring he would “go to war” to defend it. This is an example of a guy who spoke too soon before he truly felt the temperature in the room. Musk is a good man who has a lot of great ideas and will no doubt do amazing things as the co-head of the Department of Government Efficiency, but that doesn’t mean he’s got the right position on every issue.
Now, if he’s truly making adjustments to his thinking after doing some hard thinking and examining data, that’s great. We all grow in our understanding of our policy positions. It’s part of maturing. But the fact he seeming has done so quickly under fire from critics is questionable. Still, he’s a valuable asset to the Trump administration and nothing should take away from that.
via Breitbart:
In a surprising reversal, Elon Musk has labeled the H-1B visa system as “broken” on Sunday and said it needs significant changes, despite loudly defending the program which allows skilled foreign workers to be employed in the U.S. The Tesla chief had clashed with supporters of former President Donald Trump in recent days over the issue of H-1B visas and immigration. Responding to a post on X, the social media platform he owns, Musk said he has been “very clear” that the current H-1B program is dysfunctional and requires a major overhaul. Musk outlined what he sees as an “easy fix” for the system’s flaws.
The billionaire entrepreneur suggested significantly raising the minimum salary requirement for obtaining an H-1B visa. This would make it more costly for companies to hire workers from overseas compared to employing American citizens. “Easily fixed by raising the minimum salary significantly and adding a yearly cost for maintaining the H1B, making it materially more expensive to hire from overseas than domestically,” Musk wrote. Musk had previously lashed out at criticism of H-1B visas, warning of a “MAGA civil war” and vowing to “go to war” over the H-1B issue. He argued that bringing top engineering talent to the U.S. was “essential for America to keep winning.” Ramaswamy, the son of Indian immigrants, echoed Musk’s earlier sentiments.
When a user on X stated last Friday, “Let’s optimize H1-B,” which was a reference to Musk stating his belief that things that aren’t supposed to exist should not be optimized. This did not at all sit well with the billionaire tech guru.
“The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B,” Musk went on to say in response to the X user. “Take a big step back and F*** YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend.”
The latest statement from Musk seems to indicate that he is in agreement with the idea that the current system puts domestic workers at a disadvantage. However, he believes that if they make it more costly to sponsor H-1B employees through higher minimum salaries and costs for annual visa maintenance, companies will be more encouraged to put hiring Americans at a higher priority.
“The tech mogul’s proposed reforms could have significant implications for major U.S. companies, especially in Silicon Valley, that rely heavily on H-1B workers. Indian nationals in particular account for a high percentage of H-1B visa holders. Any changes making it costlier and more difficult to employ foreign talent may force businesses to reevaluate their hiring practices. Beyond the issue of low wages, critics of the H-1B system say that the visas create a system of indentured servitude due to the threat of loss of legal status if the employer fires their immigrant employee,” Breitbart News reported.
“However, any efforts to restrict H-1B visas will likely face strong opposition from the tech industry and immigration advocates who argue the program is vital for attracting the world’s best and brightest,” the article said.
In light of the firestorm, Musk is asking for more positive content on X.
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