Speech #530131451

Let me remind my colleagues that this amendment is consistent with the Hesburgh Commission as well as what the other body has seen fit to do in their legislation. Legal residence is one of the most valuable things that the United States can offer someone from another country. This tremendous benefit of U.S. residence and U.S. citizenship. given the millions who are starving worldwide. as well as the millions who seek to live here in this great country. amounts to being generous. in my judgment. by allowing an immigrant not only to come here himself or herself but we are allowing that person to bring his or her nuclear family along with them at some future point. let alone the possibility of that members extended family being included. National opinion surveysGallup. Roper. LanceTarrance. and othershave consistently shown that the general public wants some kind of limits on both legal and illegal immigration. And since legal immigration alone now seems to be running well over 600.000 per year617.000 in fiscal year 1982. to be preciseone might think that reducing legal admissions of siblings might be a sensible place to begin to examine the problem. Now. with a finite number of fixed numbers for the preference categories. we must draw the line. in my judgment. somewhere. If we grant amnesty. what will happen to the present backlog?