Trump signs 'Buy American and Hire American' executive order

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order he called "Buy American and Hire American," pledging it would favor American workers.

The April 18 executive order directs members of Trump's Cabinet to "suggest reforms" for the H-1B visa program so visas are given to "the most-skilled or highest-paid petition beneficiaries."

The H-1B program allows employers to temporarily hire foreign workers in specialty fields, most commonly the tech sector. Congress capped the annual number of H-1B visas at 65,000, but an additional 20,000 visas are available for individuals with a master's or more advanced degree from the United States.

"Right now, H-1B visas are awarded in a totally random lottery, and that's wrong. Instead, they should be given to the most-skilled and highest-paid applicants, and they should never, ever be used to replace Americans," Trump said April 18, 2017, during a visit to a tool manufacturing company in Kenosha, Wis.

Trump's executive order instructs the attorney general and secretaries of State, Labor and Homeland Security to propose new rules and guidance and revise old ones "to protect the interests of United States workers in the administration of our immigration system, including through the prevention of fraud or abuse."

In his speech in Wisconsin, Trump also said his order would direct government agencies to "strictly uphold" Buy American laws -- policies he said required the use of domestic goods and products for government projects, but have been "gutted" by waivers and exemptions.

His order requests several reports on current adherence to Buy American laws and recommendations on how to better implement them. It directs agencies to assess their compliance with Buy American laws, their use of waivers, and to develop policies to ensure the use of U.S.-made materials.

"This historic action declares that the policy of our government is to aggressively promote and use American-made goods and to ensure that American labor is hired to do the job," Trump said.

Trump's order is in line with his pledge to hire American workers first. Pending reforms to the visa program that lead to preferred hiring of Americans, we continue to rate this promise In the Works.