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Chief Software Architect Bill Gates lobbies for administration to eliminate 65,000 worker limit.

"The whole idea of the H1-B visa thing is, don't let too many smart people come into the country,'' Mr. Gates said during an invitation-only panel discussion at the Library of Congress. "The thing basically doesn't make sense.''

The issue of overseas workers was one of many government policies Mr. Gates would like to see changed. "I'd certainly get rid of the H1-B visa cap,'' Mr. Gates added. "That's one of the easiest decisions.''

Government figures showed 5.7 percent of information technology employees were out of work last year versus 5.5 percent of all workers, according to a Mercury News report. Eliminating the cap would be a very difficult sell politically.

David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. Email him here.