ITServe Members Hold Meetings With 85 Key Democrat and Republican Lawmakers During Capitol Hill Day 2024, Advocating For Policies That Benefit IT Industries

Ajay Ghosh
Media Coordinator, AAPI

“The Capitol Hill Day organized by ITServe Alliance in Washington, DC on September 18, 2024, was a highly successful outreach effort,” said Nayan Joshi, Director of ITServe Alliance Policy Advocacy Committee (PAC). “We had overwhelming support from the nearly 85 key US Representatives and Senators, including influential committee chairs and members from both the Democrat and Republican Parties for the causes put forth by ITServe.”

The day-long event on Capitol Hill organized by the ITServe Alliance Policy Advocacy Committee (PAC) was attended by over 70 ITServe members from across the nation, who met with over 85 ley lawmakers and their staff in their respective offices, who expressed their overwhelming support to the policy priorities that ITServe presented to the US Lawmakers.

Several lawmakers and their staff recognized ITServe and its members from their encounters from the past year, when for the first time ITServe had organized an in-person Policy Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill. Committing to building on this momentum in the coming years, Jagadeesh Mosali, President of ITServe said, “This is still just the beginning of ITServe’s proactive, ongoing efforts. In the coming years, we will be a driving force in getting things done for small and medium businesses.”

Stressing the importance of ITServe and the Legislative Day, “It was an unforgettable experience as over 70 members of ITServe Alliance came together for Capitol Hill Day, advocating for the changes that will shape our industry and future. Together, we made our voices heard on both sides of the aisle,” Mosali added.

ITServe Alliance’s Capitol Hill Day has effectively served as a powerful platform in educating policymakers on important issues to our members and the business community, ensuring that our needs and views are reflected in policy debates and outcomes on Capitol Hill.

Amar Varada, ITServe Alliance Governing Board Chair said, “It was a historical day for ITServe Alliance, which was born out of the necessity to be the voice of IT companies in the United States and advocate for their rights as ITServe members engaged in 85 meetings in a single day with the objective of educating lawmakers working toward meaningful changes that will benefit the IT industry and the larger society across the nation.”

According to Anju Vallabhaneni, President-Elect of ITServe, “A major objective of the Capitol Hill Day was to showcase to the lawmakers some of the significant contributions of the ITServe members to the country's economy through Technology & Innovation, local employment, and STEM education. The event also addressed key concerns faced by small businesses, including the need for high-skilled immigration reforms.”

The U.S. needs to maintain its leadership in technology and innovation, One critical factor faced in the US Tech sector is the lack of high-skilled workers. The U.S. has a large skills gap - availability of workers vs the openings for talent in IT. We need the brightest minds from all over the world to keep our wide lead in technology and innovation.

ITServe was born out of the necessity to protect the interests of the member companies of ITServe. To achieve our goals that benefit the IT Sector companies, the labor force, and the larger US economy, our process hinges on the 3 fundamental pillars of the ITServe PAC: engage, educate, and empower.

A major objective of ITServe Alliance has been to protect its members’ needs. To that end, ITServe Alliance, through its PAC team advocates on Capitol Hill and with the US Administration. Capitol Hill Day serves as a perfect platform to communicate our collective voice with key policymakers on important issues to our members.

ITServe Alliance expressed its overwhelming support and urged the lawmakers, among other initiatives, to support H.R. 4647, the “High-Skilled Immigration Reform for Employment (HIRE) Act,” introduced by US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Illinois. The Bill would strengthen U.S. competitiveness by helping to close the skills gap – the space between the skills required for jobs that employers need to fill, and the skills possessed by current prospective employees. As introduced, the bill would raise the current H-1B limit from 65,000 to 130,000, remove the H-1B cap for those with a Master’s Degree or PhD, and create a STEM grant program.

Foreign (nonimmigrant) workers fill a critical need in the U.S. labor market, particularly in the technology field. Every year, U.S. employers seeking highly skilled foreign professionals submit their petitions for the pool of H-1B visa numbers for which U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) controls the allocation. With a low statutory limit of visa numbers available, demand for H-1B visa numbers has outstripped the supply in recent years, and the cap has been reached quickly.

H-1B visa holders play a crucial role in bolstering the U.S. economy, fostering innovation, and enriching the fabric of American society through their skills, contributions, and diverse backgrounds. They bring diverse perspectives and knowledge to American workplaces, facilitating knowledge transfer and skills development by engaging in research and development activities, particularly in STEM fields, which contributes to scientific advancements and technological progress.

Despite current rhetoric, research shows that H-1B workers complement U.S. workers, fill employment gaps in many technology occupations, and expand job opportunities for all.

Studies have shown that skilled immigrants’ contributions to the U.S. economy help create new jobs and new opportunities for economic expansion. The report, titled “New American Fortune 500 in 2024: The Largest American Companies and Their Immigrant Roots,” found that 46% of the Unicorns among the Fortune 500 companies were started by immigrants or their children. It is estimated that an increase in H-1B visas could create a significant ripple effect with an additional 1.3 million new jobs and add close to $158 billion to the gross domestic product in the United States by 2045. It would also stop or reduce the effect of the “reverse brain drain” from the US to other countries. A large number of foreign students do not get their H1Bs due to a very narrow Quota that was set two decades ago resulting in the US losing world-class skills and talent despite providing them with top education and training in the US.

ITServe Alliance has been consistently working to protect the needs of its members. To that end, ITServe Alliance has been actively engaging with the Lawmakers on behalf of its members on Capitol Hill and with the US Administration. Capitol Day was the perfect way for ITServe Alliance to use its collective voice to communicate with policymakers on the issues that are important to our members.

ITServe Alliance is consistently working to protect its members’ needs. To that end, ITServe Alliance, through its PAC teams advocates on Capitol Hill and with the US Administration. The Capitol Hill Day served as a perfect platform to communicate our collective voice with key policymakers on important issues to our members.

Expressing his gratitude to all the ITServe members who flew in from across the nation to be part of this important event and those who planned and organized the event seamlessly, Nayan Joshi said, “I want to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the ITServe members who were part of this important event. Advocating for ITServe and making our voices heard in the corridors of power. Through our collective voice and their continued active participation and collaboration, we will be able to accomplish our goals through grassroots and advocacy.”

About ITServe Alliance:

Founded in 2010, ITServe’s vision has been to empower local communities by creating, retaining, and fostering employment opportunities within the United States. ITServe has an active membership of 2,200 + members, and 22 Chapters established across the United States, who are small & medium-sized companies that create local employment and fulfill the growing demand for highly skilled professionals in America. Together, the ITServe members have 175,000+ IT professionals employed throughout the U.S. and generate over $12 billion in revenue annually. Unlike the large IT outsourcing companies, member companies of IT SERVE form the backbone of small & medium businesses in the IT Sector and retain the top IT talent within the US even during economic downturns.

ITServe and its member community are committed to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and actively contributing to local communities nationwide, particularly in the realm of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education. For information on ITServe and its many noble initiatives, please visit: www.itserve.org