Speech #700110903

Mr. Speaker and gentlemen of the House. this bill comes to us for consideration as a Senate bill. The Senate passed a bill dealing with the admission of families. but your Committee on Immigration thought it wise to amend that bill. and the amendments to the bill are of such a nature that the Senate bill itself is really lost sight of. in other words. it is clear that a parliamentary advantage might be had in striking out all after the enacting clause of the Senate bill and inserting in lieu thereof the Jenkins bill. which has been done. The bill for consideration. therefore. is the Jenkins bill. concerning which many of you have had many inquiries. Your Committee on Immigration has spent much time in hearings and discussions. and the Jenkins bill is the result of the most careful consideration of your committee. If it is not passed here today. there will be no chance for its passage at this session. It has the support of many organizations interested in immigration matters. It does not go far enough to suit many others. It is sanctioned by the restrictionists. It is a restrictionist measure. but is designed to smooth over some of the rough places in the law. Now. what does the bill do? In the first place. it amends section 4 of the immigration act in two or three respects. These amendments let in but very few additional persons. they relieve some situations which have been a source of worry to many social and religious workers and which have excited the sympathies of many people. What is section 4 of the immigration act? Section 4 is that section that sets out in detail the various classes of immigrants that may come in outside the quota. Now. how does this resolution amend that section? The first amendment provides that a woman who was a citizen of the United States prior to September 22. 1922. and who lost her citizenship prior to that time by reason of her marriage to an alien. might. if she wishes to return to the United States. be permitted to do so as a nonquota immigrant. This means any woman who was formerly a citizen of the United States who married prior to 1922. when the Cable Act went into effect. and lost her citizenship thereby. if she is now in some foreign country and wants to return. can return nonquota. Now. how many are there of this class?