WASHINGTON, DC – Wednesday, the Joint Economic Committee will hold a hearing entitled “Keeping Our Promises: Labor Inflows, Maintaining Competitiveness, and Supporting an Aging Population,” which will focus on labor flows as the nation faces an aging population, stagnant fertility rates, and the urgent need to rejuvenate the American workforce.

Debt is increasing rapidly and now dwarfs Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the U.S. Smarter policies can ameliorate this problem. High-skilled immigration, particularly in underserved or bottlenecked industries, results in more innovation and more economic growth. However, the framework currently used in the U.S. distributes visas randomly or by order of application rather than by merit. Further, the global pool of elite talent is finite, and other countries, many are American adversaries, are also attempting to attract high-skilled labor. 

Contemporary debates surrounding labor inflows have often focused on the politics of immigration rather than the practical necessity of generating and importing high-skilled labor. This hearing will explore innovative pathways to grow the American workforce of the future to ensure continued economic and national security.

Hearing details:

Date:               Wednesday, March 18

Time:              2:30pmET

Place:             216 Hart Senate Office Building

Witnesses:

            Dr. Luke Pardue, Policy Director

            The Aspen Institute Economic Strategy Group

            Washington, DC

            Mr. Daniel Di Martino, Fellow

            Manhattan Institute

            Washington, DC 

            Dr. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, President

            American Action Forum

            Washington, DC        

            Mr. Jeremy Neufeld, Director of Immigration Policy

            Institute for Progress

            Washington, DC

Livestream:   The hearing will stream live on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/live/cj8IbqIkR14?si=JEOX3iZohHZP_J58 and from X at https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1NxarazanPqKj

 ###