Business Group Rejects Trump Proposal to End Shutdown, Calls for"Meaningful Plan" to Protect Economy
BOSTON - President Donald Trump made a proposal today to end the government shutdown via a series of immigration policy “compromises”. Massachusetts Business Immigration Coalition (MBIC) and MBIC Co-Chair Thomas N. O’Brien released the following statement in response:
“Massachusetts businesses, their employees and the entire nation’s economy itself need reliable, dependable policies that make it possible to staff existing needs and plan for growth. It is good to see the President recognize that the only way out of the shutdown is to negotiate. However, his proposal does not create a meaningful opportunity to resolve the current situation. Repackaging various programs like Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and DACA in a new state of limbo will not appease the President’s political opponents, and falls dramatically shy of meeting the critical needs of employers whose workforces are being destabilized by this political situation.”
“The business leaders in this coalition urge both Democrats and Republicans, as they consider the President’s proposal, to consider the global disadvantage to American companies and their workers at every level that exists today due to the instability and incoherence of current immigration policy. Only a proposal that moves us out of limbo and into a stable, data-supported approach that meets the needs of our labor markets and innovation agenda will position the United States for sustainable growth.”
“Massachusetts depends on human capital from all over the world to generate the degree of innovation and quality of life for which it is known worldwide. It is time for a meaningful plan to protect the economy. We need a policy agenda to match the vision and courage of our diverse workforce and the needs of our customers.
The Massachusetts Business Immigration Coalition (MBIC) was founded in 2018 and includes more than 40 business leaders from diverse industries and regions within the Commonwealth including technology, manufacturing, healthcare, finance, hospitality, higher education, construction and more. The members are listed along with more detailed information about the coalition at www.MassBIC.org.
MBIC is hosting a forum “Protecting Our Economy: A Business Agenda on Immigration Policy on January 28th at the UMass Club in Boston. For more details see www.MassBIC.org and follow us @MBICoalition.
Media Contact: Andy Tarsy, Strategic Advisor to MBIC Email: Business@MIRACoalition.org Mobile: 617 515-9004