A bill that would "eliminate the H-1B program," which helps U.S. companies hire highly skilled foreign workers, was among Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene's final two final pieces of proposed legislation, new records show.

The Republican of Georgia introduced the bill and another to mandate "photo identification and proof of United States citizenship to vote in Federal elections" on Friday.

She served her final day in Congress for Georgia's 14th district on Monday, following her a high-profile break with President Donald Trump over issues such as health care, the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files and foreign policy.

Why It Matters

The H1-B visa program has been under heavy scrutiny during President Trump's second term.

In September, Trump ordered a controversial $100,000 application fee for H-1B visas, sparking ongoing legal challenges. In court papers, Trump's administration argued the substantial increase is necessary to protect American jobs and fund border security, while critics—including some business groups, educators and state governments—warned it would stifle innovation, competitiveness, and specialized fields like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and medicine.

Greene's bill goes one step further than the government's position, seeking to end the program entirely.

The clash brings to the forefront the challenges Trump faces as he seeks to balance economic pragmatism with the “America First” sentiments of his political base, which Greene has argued are being ignored by Trump's administration.

What To Know

The H-1B visa program allows employers to sponsor foreign professionals for jobs that require specialized skills, most commonly in technology, engineering, and science.

Each year, the government issues 85,000 new H-1B visas, including 20,000 reserved for workers with advanced degrees from U.S. universities. Demand for the visas regularly exceeds supply, triggering an annual lottery. Indian nationals make up a large share of recipients.

Greene first touted a H-1B program ban in September, writing on X: "I am introducing a bill to END the mass replacement of American workers by aggressively phasing out the H1B program. Big Tech, AI giants, hospitals, and industries across the board have abused the H-1B system to cut out our own people. Americans are the most talented people in the world, and I have full faith in the American people. I serve Americans only, and I will ALWAYS put Americans first."

Representative Beth Van Duyne, the Republican of Texas, last month also called for a total ban on the visas as part of a broader push to overhaul the U.S. immigration system, telling conservative commentator Benny Johnson politicians had overlooked the “unintended consequences” of programs like H-1B.

Meanwhile, a federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration may proceed with imposing a $100,000 fee on new H1B visa applications. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which brought a legal challenge over concerns the fee would disrupt the framework established by Congress and impose high costs on U.S. businesses, last week launched an appeal over the ruling.

"These harms to American businesses will also be a boon to America’s economic rivals, who will surely welcome the talent no longer able to accept work in the United States," the business group said in its initial October lawsuit. "That is a competitive edge that foreign employers might never cede back."

Separately, a coalition of 20 states, spearheaded by Washington Attorney General Nick Brown and California and Massachusetts' Attorneys General, challenged the fee’s legality under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), arguing the required notice-and-comment process was bypassed, and the fee was arbitrarily set unrelated to administrative costs.

The U.S. Department of State expanded its screening process for H-1B applicants and their dependents last month, requiring applicants to make social media accounts publicly accessible as part of routine vetting. Officials said the move was aimed at preventing abuse of the system.

The Department of Homeland Security has finalized new rules that will reshape the H-1B visa lottery. Beginning in 2027, applicants would no longer have equal chances of selection; instead, the system would prioritize higher-paid workers within each occupation. Federal officials said the change is intended to favor highly skilled applicants and respond to concerns about visa misuse and the displacement of U.S. workers.

What People Are Saying

Representative Beth Van Duyne, the Republican of Texas, told conservative commentator Benny Johnson on December 17: “That H-1B visa program has got to either stop right now until we understand the amount of just how it’s being taken advantage of, or redone so it doesn't exist."

Stuart Anderson, executive director at the National Foundation for American Policy, responding to a decline in the number of H-1B visas approved for Indian-based companies, according to a National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) analysis of government data, told Newsweek: "H-1B visas are important because they are typically the only way to hire a high-skilled foreign national long term in the United States, and approximately 70% of full-time graduate students in key science and technology fields at U.S. schools are international students.”

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesperson Matthew Tragesser, in a December 23 press release announcing H-1B lotttery changes: "The new weighted selection will better serve Congress’ intent for the H-1B program and strengthen America’s competitiveness by incentivizing American employers to petition for higher-paid, higher-skilled foreign workers. With these regulatory changes and others in the future, we will continue to update the H-1B program to help American businesses without allowing the abuse that was harming American workers.” 

What Happens Next

Green's amendment has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee, along with the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees.