The IEEE has been lobbying on the issue of H1B visas. Many foreigners feel that the IEEE position was characterized by narrow self-interest of US engineers, to the detriment of both foreign born professionals and the US economy as a whole. US engineers are, of course, fully justified in engaging in those kinds of lobbying activities. What is not acceptable from my point of view is that the IEEE effectively uses membership numbers, subscription fees, and membership dues from inviduals who are IEEE members purely for scientific/technical reasons to support such activities. IEEE professional communications and IEEE lobbying activities should be two separate organizations with separate funding and separate membership lists.