a Recent social media clashes The uproar between Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and Trump supporters over advanced immigration reform has exposed deep ideological rifts within the Republican Party. But the importance of the debate over immigration policy and America's education system goes far beyond social media, and resolving these issues is critical to America's competitiveness.
The combination of pragmatic immigration reform, bold education investments, and innovative AI-driven learning can create the talent-first agenda we so desperately need.
Human capital is at the heart of America's competitiveness, especially in key areas such as AI and quantum computing. As the global landscape evolves, it is no longer only technological assets and financial resources that determine a country's status. It's the skills, creativity and expertise of our people. The United States needs highly skilled immigration reform and a domestic workforce that is equipped to explore new ideas, capitalize on these innovations, and adapt in the face of unprecedented challenges. An “all of the above” approach is needed, combined with new efforts to strengthen the talent pipeline.
Highly skilled immigrants are essential to that strategy. Immigrants account for 16% of inventors in the United States. Drives 23% of innovation results Through patents, citations, and economic impact. They also founded or co-founded nearly the following companies: Two-thirds of America’s top AI companiesand census data We show that immigrant-owned firms are more likely to develop new products and invest in research and development.
The urgency for high-skill immigration reform is clear, with broad bipartisan support, including 71 percent of Donald Trump voters and 87 percent of Kamala Harris voters. agree to admit The number of highly skilled immigrants will increase. This widespread appeal stems not only from economic benefits but also from national security. Recent Congressional reports on U.S.-China relations highlight victories in U.S.-China relations. Global competition for talent is essential to It's about keeping America competitive.
Attracting global talent is essential, but the United States cannot afford to ignore its domestic talent pipeline. Over-reliance on highly skilled immigrants obscures the urgent need to address cracks in the education and workforce system, particularly in the so-called “STEM” fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The foundation of a strong talent pipeline begins in elementary and middle school. Even so, recent national evaluation Let's paint a picture of a difficult situation. The disruption caused by pandemic-era school closures has unraveled two decades of progress in mathematics. Currently, only 36 percent of fourth graders and 26 percent of eighth graders are performing at or above proficiency in math. America cannot lead the future in AI and other technological frontiers if students cannot master basic mathematics.
President-elect Trump now has a comprehensive strategy to prioritize STEM education and workforce training, equipping American workers with the skills they need to dominate critical industries like artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing, and advanced robotics. are given the opportunity to learn.
The best way to put America First is to put students first. President Trump should convene a bipartisan summit of governors and business leaders to focus attention and strategy on how to revitalize the stalled academic recovery. The most important education reforms for our country are best achieved through national leadership. Through academic accountability, targeted tutoring, expanded parental choice, and rigorous curriculum, states can reverse learning loss and restore trust in American education.
Part of this effort should include encouraging governors to provide counseling, financial incentives, and flexible learning formats. 36.8 million Americans enrolled in college but never graduated. degree or qualification. This is not just a wasted investment of tax dollars, but represents a huge amount of untapped human potential that can be mobilized to strengthen the economy and workforce.
Meanwhile, welcoming highly skilled immigrants can help fill urgent talent gaps in STEM fields. Only if the system is updated. Under current H-1B rules, companies with many visa holders must pay at least $60,000 or face penalties, an outdated standard set in 1998. Elon Musk and Institute for Progress What they propose is to automatically adjust for inflation and raise the floor. This ensures that H-1Bs are used for high-value work and prevents companies from relying on H-1Bs to outsource work. It would also generate more than $11 billion in additional payroll taxes over 10 years at no cost to taxpayers, and that money could be used to support the education and training of Americans.
Mr. Trump is right to want to do that. Granting green cards to foreign graduates of US universities. It defies logic to simply educate talented people and then force them to take their skills elsewhere, where they often compete with U.S. companies. Rather, we should harness this talent to strengthen America's workforce and drive domestic innovation.
Now is the time to challenge America's leading AI companies to direct their breakthrough innovations toward strengthening their talent pipelines. AI has tremendous potential to act as a personal tutor, accelerating student learning, guiding high school students’ academic and career decisions, and opening new paths to success.
Taken together, these policies will reduce dependence on foreign human capital supply chains, strengthen national security, and position the United States as a leader in cutting-edge technology while fostering a stronger, more competitive economy. This will put American workers and industry first.
America's true competitiveness lies in its people. If we do not act, today's political skirmishes will become tomorrow's missed opportunities. America doesn't have that luxury.
John Bailey is an adjunct senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, focusing on education and technology. He serves as a member of Gov. Glenn Youngkin's (R) Virginia AI Task Force and regularly briefs members of Congress, state policymakers, and business leaders on the impact and potential of AI.
