An immigration staffer for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has emigrated to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to lobby on worker visa and related issues.
Jon Baselice, who covered immigration issues as Rubio's legislative assistant for the past four years, filed lobbying forms as the Chamber's new director for immigration policy. Baselice is working with the Hill on a dozen immigration and visa-related bills, including one that was originally co-sponsored by Rubio. The Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, which passed the Senate in June 2013, was the result of the "Gang of Eight" negotiations. The final Senate bill included a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, visa backlog reforms, the expansion of the employment verification system and the improvement of work visa options for low-skill workers.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is pressuring Hill Republicans, especially those in the House, to pass immigration reform. The Chamber's CEO and President, Tom Donohue, is quoted by ThinkProgress as saying, "If the Republicans don't do it, they shouldn't bother to run a candidate in 2016." Rubio is in favor of immigration reform that includes tougher border security and updating the immigration system to help stimulate the economy, but without amnesty for undocumented immigrants.
Baselice joined the senator's office in January 2011 as a legislative correspondent. Five months later, he was promoted to legislative assistant, a title which he held until he left for the Chamber of Commerce in May. He has a BS in economics from Syracuse University and a JD from the University of Miami School of Law.
