Speech #810329396

It became mutilated. It warranted the veto. I can assure you if a bill on naturalization is presented. a coherent. logical. welldefined bill calling for safeguards against communism I shall lose no time in referring it to a subcommittee where it can be properly taken up by the subcommittee. then by the full committee. and then debated in the House. The provisions I opposed were never considered by the Judiciary Committee or by this House. But I do hope the Members of the House will not gainsay the President in this regard. He has carefully considered the terminology of this bill and he has branded it as vague. indefinite. and unconstitutional. The President properly said: The result might be to weaken our naturallzation laws rather than strengthen them. The result might also be to jeopardize the basic rights of our naturalized citizens and other persons legitimately admitted to the United States. Review with me section 2 of the bill which amends section 305 of the Nationality Act of 1940 as amended. and look at subsection (g) thereofpage 4 of the conference report. It reads as follows: (g) If a person who shall have been naturalized after the enactment of this section. as here amended. shall. within 5 years next following such naturalization become a member of or affiliated with any organization. membership in or affiliation with which at the time of naturalization would have precluded such person from naturalization under the provisions of subsection (a). it shall be considered prima facie evidence that such person was not attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States and was not well disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States at the time of naturalization. and. in the absence of countervailing evidence. it shall be sufficient in the proper proceeding to authorize the revocation and setting aside of the order admitting such person to citizenship and the cancellation of the certificate of naturalization as provided in section 338 of this act. That means for 5 years after naturalization a Damoclean sword may hang over the citizens head. He can never know when or why the sword will fall. He becomes a different kind of citizena secondclass citizen.