11/05/2005: Mr. President, Distinguished Members of Congress, and Mr. Secretary Chertoff
Did you know that almost half of the graduate students currently enrolled in the physical sciences and engineering at the United States universities come from other nations? I mean "half!!" With all due respect, please allow me to tell you what this statistics mean to this country. If we fail to retain these scientists and engineers, they will take these technologies to foreign countries, particularly our competitors. Our competitors are sending all type of messages and winks to attract these scientists and engineers, not because they look cute or handsome or beautiful, but because they want to steal our technologies and knowledges through these scientists and engineers. The damage to this country in the long haul will be devastating. Without any doubt, you all love the United States of America as I do.
Mr. Secretary Chertoff, Homeland Security, please think about why your predecessor, Mr. Tom Ridge said in April 14, 2003 that "as we secure America from terrorists, we do not want to risk losing the next Enrico Fermi or Albert Einstein…We would be a far poorer nation in many, many ways." He served this country at a time when the terrorism was more pressing issue for this nation.
I urge you, Mr. President and Mr. Secretary, to remind the members of the Congress of the importance of S. 1932 which the Senate passed on November 3, 2005 to keep these critical human resources to this country and protect our technologies. I urge you to contact members of the Congress to support and consent to this bill.
I also want to take this opportunity to reiterate my previous statement that if this bill is not passed, the businesses will be forced to take these jobs to foreign countries in the name of outsourcing with the econimically damaging consequences. As you are aware, the House is scheduled to pick up this bill in the very near future and your urgent action will be critically important for the future of our country.