ITServe Alliance On ‘Capitol Hill Day’ To Lobby For IT Industry Interests
Photo: File pix from 2023 Capital Hill Day
India-West Staff Reporter
WASHINGTON, DC – The ITServe Alliance, the largest association of IT solutions and services organizations in the US, has announced its next Capitol Hill Day for September 18, aiming to enhance visibility and influence in shaping legislation that impacts the tech industry.
It represents over 2,600 member companies, providing a unified voice for small and mid-sized IT firms across the U.S. Since its inception in 2010, the organization has played a critical role in protecting its members’ interests through advocacy, collaboration, and community engagement.
Nayan Joshi, Director of the ITServe Alliance Policy Advocacy Committee, emphasized the event’s importance in making “ITServe more known, visible, and effective” in both the Senate and House of Representatives.
The announcement follows the success of the 2023 Capitol Hill Day, the first in-person event of its kind organized by ITServe, which saw participation from nearly 180 key elected lawmakers from both major parties.
“ITServe Alliance has been consistently working to safeguard the interests of its members,” said Amar Varada, ITServe’s Chair of the Governing Board in a press statement. “To that end, ITServe Alliance has been lobbying with the Lawmakers on behalf of its members on Capitol Hill and with the US Administration. And our ultimate mission is to keep the innovation and jobs within the country.”
Capitol Hill Day also serves as a strategic platform for discussing the HIRE ACT Bill and other legislative measures critical to the IT sector, such as increasing the H1B visa cap and funding for STEM education through the “American Ingenuity Account.”
Jagadeesh Mosali, President of ITServe, noted that Capitol Hill Day has been instrumental in educating lawmakers about the pivotal issues facing their members and the broader business community. “The U.S. needs to maintain its leadership in technology and innovation,” Mosali said, emphasizing the significance of continuous engagement with policymakers.
Gopi Kandukuri, a Board Director at ITServe, outlined the organization’s strategic pillars: educate, lobby, and litigate. These efforts aim to address challenges faced by IT sector companies, the labor force, and the broader U.S. economy.
“A major objective for 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,” added Kris Gadde, CPAC – Board Director.
“Foreign (nonimmigrant) workers fill a critical need in the U.S. labor market, particularly in the technology field,” the release said. “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. “
Despite prevailing narratives, research indicates that H-1B workers not only complement the U.S. workforce but also fill critical gaps in various technology roles, thereby enhancing job prospects across the board, the release said. Studies have consistently demonstrated that the economic contributions of skilled immigrants catalyze job creation and broader economic growth, it added.
Projections suggest that raising the H-1B visa cap could potentially generate an additional 1.3 million jobs and contribute approximately $158 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product by 2045.
Kris Gadde, another Board Director, added that the event is crucial for communicating ITServe’s collective voice on matters pertinent to its members, ranging from high-skilled immigration reforms to local employment and corporate social responsibility activities.
Anju Vallabhaneni, President-Elect of ITServe, and Hima Kolanagireddy, Managing Director of CPAC, both called on members to actively participate and leverage their connections with Congress to ensure the event’s success. They emphasized the importance of grassroots efforts and advocacy in achieving favorable policy outcomes.
