students contribute a $41 billion economic impact that supports more than 450,000 jobs. As one of our University Presidents observed, no public good is served by these efforts to deprive international students from continuing to make valuable and necessary contributions to the prosperity of the nation and the impact on the economic interests will be negative and potentially irreversible. This policy is not only punitive to these international students, it also threatens the safety of other students and the communities surrounding college campuses. Additionally, transporting international students who may have been exposed to the coronavirus to other campuses or to airports to fly back to their home countries poses a myriad of health risks. Finally, we understand that both Harvard University and MIT filed suit seeking a preliminary injunction this morning and I am sure others will follow. This litigation will be costly, will take time, and will waste precious judicial resources at a time when we should be focusing on rebuilding our nation. Accordingly, we request that, in the best interest of our nation, you reconsider and rescind the temporary rules to help preserve our higher education system which is, indeed, the envy of the world.
Most respectfully,
Robert A. DeLeo Jeffrey N. Roy Speaker of the House House Chair Committee on Higher Education
Anne Gobi Claire Cronin Senate Chair House Chair Committee on Higher Education Committee on Judiciary
Paul McMurtry Patricia A. Haddad House Chair Speaker Pro Tempore Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development
Bradley H. Jones, Jr. Alice H. Peisch House Minority Leader House Chair 20th Middlesex District Committee on Education
Joanne M. Comerford William H. Straus Senate Chair House Chair Committee on Public Health Committee on Transportation
Lori A. Ehrlich Paul Mark House Chair Chair Committee on Export Development House Committee on Redistricting
Ann-Margaret Ferrante Tackey Chan House Chair House Chair Committee on Economic Development Committee on Consumer Protection and and Emerging Technologies Professional Licensure
William Galvin Kay Khan House Chair House Chair Committee on Rules Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities
Smitty Pignatelli Kevin G. Honan House Chair House Chair Committee on Environment, Natural Committee on Housing Resources & Agriculture
Danielle W. Gregoire James O’Day House Chair House Chair Committee on State Administration Committee on Municipalities and Regional and Regulatory Oversight Government
Ruth B. Balser Marc R. Pacheco House Chair Senate Chair Committee on Elder Affairs Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change
Adam Hinds Josh S. Cutler Senate Chair House Vice-Chair Committee on Revenue Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities
Frank A. Moran David P. Linsky Chair Chair House Committee on Personnel and House Committee on Post Audit and Administration Oversight
Kenneth I. Gordon Thomas A. Golden, Jr. House Vice Chair House Chair Committee on Economic Development Committee on Telecommunications, and Emerging Technologies Utilities and Energy
Marjorie C. Decker Theodore C. Speliotis House Chair Chair Committee on Mental Health, House Committee on Bills in the Third Substance Use and Recovery Reading
Linda D. Campbell Antonio F. D. Cabral House Chair Chair Committee on Veterans and Federal House Committee on Bonding, Capital Affairs Expenditures and State Assets
Jerald A. Parisella Elizabeth A. Malia House Chair Assistant Vice Chair Committee on Public Service House Committee on Ways and Means
Aaron Vega Brian M. Ashe House Vice Chair House Vice Chair Committee on Technology & Committee on Export Development Intergovernmental Affairs
Kate Hogan Joan B. Lovely State Representative Senate Chair 3rd Middlesex District Committee on Rules
Alan Silvia Natalie M. Higgins House Vice Chair Vice Chair Committee on Public Safety & House Committee on Personnel and Homeland Security Administration
Carolyn C. Dykema Elizabeth A. Poirier House Vice Chair Ranking Minority Committee on Telecommunications, House Committee on Ethics Utilities and Energy
Michael S. Day Cynthia S. Creem House Vice Chair Chair Committee on the Judiciary Senate Committee on Personnel and Administration
Sean Garballey Steven Ultrino House Vice-Chair State Representative Committee on State Administration 33rd Middlesex District and Regulatory Oversight
James Arciero Michael O. Moore State Representative Senate Chair 2nd Middlesex District Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security
Joseph W. McGonagle, Jr Thomas M. Stanley House Vice Chair House Vice Chair Committee on Housing Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government
Tricia Farley-Bouvier Michael J. Barrett House Vice Chair Senate Chair Committee on Elder Affairs Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy
Paul F. Tucker Jay D. Livingstone House Vice Chair House Vice Chair Committee on Education Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure
Patricia D. Jehlen Mary S. Keefe Senate Chair House Vice Chair Committee on Elder Affairs Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change
Harriette L. Chandler Daniel J. Ryan Vice Chair Vice Chair Senate Committee on Bills in the Third House Committee on Post Audit and Reading Oversight
Daniel Cahill Eric P. Lesser House Vice Chair Chair Committee on Environment, Natural Senate Committee on Ethics Resources and Agriculture
Barry R. Finegold Julian Cyr Senate Chair Senate Chair Committee on Election Laws Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery
Nika C. Elugardo Carole Fiola State Representative State Representative 15th Suffolk District 6th Bristol District
Mindy Domb Timothy R. Whelan State Representative State Representative 3rd Hampshire District 1st Barnstable District
Tram T. Nguyen Louis L. Kafka State Representative State Representative 18th Essex District 8th Norfolk District
Tami L. Gouveia Maria D. Robinson State Representative State Representative 14th Middlesex District 6th Middlesex District
Susan L. Moran Christine P. Barber State Senator House Vice Chair Plymouth and Barnstable District Committee on Financial Services
Stephan Hay Tommy Vitolo House Vice Chair State Representative Committee on Labor and Workforce 15th Norfolk District Development
Jack Lewis Joan Meschino State Representative State Representative 7th Middlesex District 3rd Plymouth District
William J. Driscoll, Jr. Jonathan Hecht State Representative State Representative 7th Norfolk District 29th Middlesex District
Lindsay Sabadosa Adrian C. Madaro State Representative State Representative 1st Hampshire District 1st Suffolk District
Denise Provost Danillo A. Sena State Representative State Representative 27th Middlesex District 37th Middlesex District
Jon Santiago Jonathan D. Zlotnik State Representative State Representative 9th Suffolk District 2nd Worcester District
Senator Becca Rausch Michael J. Soter State Senator State Representative Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex 8th Worcester District District
Christina A. Minicucci Kate Lipper-Garabedian State Representative State Representative 14th Essex 32nd Middlesex District
Susannah M. Whipps Patrick M. O'Connor State Representative State Senator 2nd Franklin District Plymouth and Norfolk District
Mike Connolly Christopher Hendricks State Representative State Representative 26th Middlesex District 11th Bristol District
Natalie M. Blais Brian W. Murray State Representative State Representative 1st Franklin District 10th Worcester District
James K. Hawkins David H. A. LeBoeuf State Representative State Representative 2nd Bristol District 17th Worcester District
Daniel R. Carey State Representative 2nd Hampshire District