McCain: Solving immigration a top priority
U.S. Sen. John McCain and Cisco Systems Chairman and CEO John Chambers were the featured speakers on ``Improving America's Business Climate and Economic Competitiveness'' during the Silicon Valley Leadership Group's 2006 Annual Public Policy Luncheon in November. They answered questions on a broad range of questions. And McCain talked about his presidential ambitions. The discussion was moderated by Mercury News Editorial Pages Editor and Vice President Stephen E. Wright. Here is an edited transcript.
Wright: We all know the challenges of global competitiveness. What are some of the things that America is doing right?
Chambers: If you look at the future of a country, it's built around four pillars. First is the education system. Second is the infrastructure. Third is the environment for innovation. And fourth is supportive government. And I think, for many of us in this room, learning how important that fourth one is, is an ongoing process. But it doesn't matter if you're in Eastern Europe, Romania or Turkey, or if you're in the Middle East, or Saudi Arabia, or Dubai, or India, or China, or Hong Kong -- they look both to America and Silicon Valley as having gotten it right. The unique environment that we've created in America and Silicon Valley is still the best in the world. Our fifth strength is our ability to criticize ourselves. So I'm really the optimist about our country's future, and especially about Silicon Valley.
McCain: I agree with everything John said, and he said it in a far more concise and articulate fashion than I would. I travel a lot around the world and I see a big problem with anti-Americanism. But the respect, and almost reverence, with which Silicon Valley is held, is literally throughout the world. We do have some things to worry about, including the rising tide of protectionism here in the United States, particularly in the Congress. And, second, young people are not able to come and get an education in this country, as they were before Sept. 11. Part of that is understandable. But as you know, one of our greatest sources of talent and brains in this nation came from people from all over the world, who studied here, and decided that they wanted to stay and work here. That's being cut off. They're now going to school in India. They're going to school in Europe, etc. Everybody knows that, but we've got to fix the immigration problem overall, and we also have to fix this H-1B problem, and we have to make it a lot easier for students from all over the world to come and study at the finest institutions in the world.
Wright: Surprise! I have a question about H-1B visas. Obviously, it is critical to Silicon Valley, and to innovation. John Chambers, what's the impact of the H-1B visa limit on the country's competitiveness? And what's the impact on Cisco?
Chambers: If you look at Silicon Valley, as an example, over 60 percent of our engineers are first- or second-generation Asian-Americans, and our ability to attract the best and brightest from all over the world to our country, whether you're in Boston or Texas or North Carolina or Silicon Valley, is so key to our future. Combining that with our local talent has made our country very, very strong. Without realizing it, we have hung up a ``not welcome'' mat, and we've got to change that. Many companies are already moving the majority of their growth overseas in terms of engineers, for a combination of reasons, especially the number of engineers that are being generated out of China and India, and that number is either 5 or 10:1, depending on whose numbers you want to use. But if we keep that welcome mat open, and attract the best and brightest here, they'll generate a lot of jobs for many of us who are already here, and I think it's the example of what has made us. We do not want to export jobs; but if we can't really train in this country, and attract the best talent here, you will see high tech export more and more. So I think it is of fundamental importance to get this turned around.
McCain: The H-1B problem is caught up in this larger, emotional, traumatic national debate we've been having on immigration. Just listen to the talk shows. It's an incredibly emotional issue. I understand why people are upset. We have to secure our border. That's the obligation that every nation in the world has, but we also need to have a comprehensive solution to it, and part of that is temporary workers, which applies to agriculture as well as it does to high tech, and it also means we do something with the 12 million people who are already here as the result of failed federal policies. The great strength of America is because we've had a fresh infusion of new blood and vitality generation after generation, and that goes on today, and for us to somehow turn against that, I think, would be a disaster.
Chambers: Senator, two real quick comments. The first is, I just happened to note a story today that said if an election were held, and you would be kind enough to run, you would win by almost 10 points vs. the most likely opponent on the other side. Can you be nudged a little bit to talk about that?
McCain: Well, I'd like to ask your sympathy for the families of Arizona, because Barry Goldwater from Arizona ran for president, and Morris Udall from Arizona ran for president, and Bruce Babbitt from Arizona ran for president, and I, from Arizona, ran for president. Arizona may be the only state in America where mothers don't tell their children that some day they can grow up and be president.
Wright: You're a good politician, but let's go back to H-1B, though. Do you see any kind of change in the number granted?
McCain: Yes, but because we're hung up on the whole immigration issue, we haven't moved forward on the H-1B, as we should have. Every time they say ``H-1B,'' somebody says, ``OK, then I'm going to attach building a wall under it,'' or ``I'm going to say they can't collect food stamps.'' Look, the approval rating of Congress, I saw recently, was 16 percent. The lesson from the election will be that voters expect us to go back and work on these issues, and get something done, rather than get in this partisan bickering and fighting, which, frankly, isn't why they send us to Washington.
Wright: That's a beautiful segue to my next question. President Bush outlined several initiatives for innovation and competitiveness in his State of the Union. The Democrats have developed a plan to also address many of these same issues, but nothing got done. So I'd like to ask each of you to name the No. 1 competitiveness issue that you think Congress should tackle in 2007.
McCain: Immigration reform has to get done. If we really want to be competitive, we need to extend the R&D tax credit. We need to do a lot of those things which would spur competitiveness. But I would think right off the top of my head, for a whole lot of reasons, immigration reform is something we should get resolved.
Wright: What's it going to take to get traction on that issue?
McCain: It's going to require the American people to demand that we act in their interest and stop fighting amongst ourselves. Reward people who reach across the aisle and work on a bipartisan basis. I've been around a long time. I have not seen more bitterness and more partisanship in Washington, nor nastier political campaigning than this one. Something's got to change, or we're going to have trouble motivating young people to serve in public office.
Chambers: If I were to ask for one thing, it would be broadband. Our global competitors are breaking away from us. It enables new forms of health care. It enables new forms of innovation. It allows us to balance our personal lives with our business lives, with our families, and we are not keeping up as a country.
Wright: What can we do to get affordable broadband throughout the country?
Chambers: It starts with an agreement to make it a top agenda item for our country. We need to create a reasonable amount of competitiveness, and then holding those people accountable for it, and allow a reasonable return on it. I don't think this is rocket science.
McCain: He's right. Broadband access needs to be a top priority.
Wright: We need a skilled workforce here in America. A key ingredient is improving our K through 12 education system, and ensuring that more students really understand math and science. What more can the federal government be doing? And what should the private sector be doing?
McCain: Well, the No Child Left Behind Act is up for re-authorization. Unlike some, I believe it was a great beginning. I think that No Child Left Behind was the first time I can compare my children's performance with that of people in another state. It set standards in a lot of ways. So I believe that when we re-authorize it, we can fine-tune it, and, obviously, put more emphasis on math and the sciences. And one area we're not as appreciative of as we should be is junior colleges. People want job security and we've got to tell these people, ``If you do lose your job because of globalization, we're going to provide you with an opportunity to get the education and training so that you're not permanently out of the job market.''
Chambers: Many people in this room were involved in the school-bond issues, and others. John Doerr and Reed Hastings are constantly leading for us on that. But I think we've got to think even more aggressively. Using Cisco as an example, we're in partnership with the state government in Louisiana and Mississippi. In partnership with the boards of education. We'll put in $40 million, redo the curriculum, eliminate the digital divide in the cities, putting in wireless capabilities. Make the teachers and the administrators the engineers of the programs, and really build a system that doesn't just catch us up, but starts to lead again.
McCain: Maybe you don't think charter schools are right for your community. I know what they've done in Arizona, and many of them have failed, but they've provided competition. It's not throwing money at the problem, it's got to do with competition. Why not try vouchers? We ought to do everything we can to instill competition.
Wright: A question from the audience: ``Will one of you please run for president?''
McCain: I mentioned my friend, Morris Udall. He was a member of the House of Representatives, and he ran in 1976. And he said, ``If you're a United States senator, unless you're under indictment or detoxification, you automatically consider yourself a candidate for president of the United States.''
Chambers: Senator, what's the hardest part of your decision to run for president?
McCain: Whether I want to subject my family to the very nasty campaign that you know will ensue at one point or another. I'm not bitter or angry about the last campaign, but I look at these campaigns, and I see these attacks, just a constant stream of attacks, and it hurts your family a lot more than it does you. And I guess the other, John, is that you have to make sure that your qualifications and your background and your experience and your talents are suited to meet the challenges of the 21st century. I believe that it's very likely, but it's a process you have to go through, and we haven't made that decision yet.
No comments:
Post a Comment