Speech #530131510

If the gentlewoman will yield. first of all. the gentlewoman is aware of the fact that in the bill. and there has been no dispute. that the report required takes in a considerable amount of information that deals with the question of what is going to happen as a consequence of the actions that we take. what is happening now. and that is all as a result of a concern with wanting to set some outer limit mechanism which I think we need. and sadly need in this country. to be able to determine what our immigration policy is going to be to continue to make it humane. to continue to assure that it is a land of asylum. et cetera. without bringing about the terrible situation that sometimes occurs when we find ourselves with this problem where people will say. "Cut off all immigration." That has been a concern of this gentleman for many. many years. and the gentlewoman knows that. although she is very young. But even before. I have been fighting the problem of possibly having this House. out of a concern for national security and national interest and with immediate passions. cut off. as has happened in other countries. all immigration. I think we need a certain kind of flexible policy. taking into account population growth. economic indicators. consequences of our legal preference. and all of that. and that becomes an important part of it. I would hope that we could reach that objective which the gentlewoman is talking about. which is the mechanism I have always had in mind throughout my experience when I have spoken on immigration.