Speech #820200408

I am willing to accept many provisions of the bill. but numerous others I must reject. Therefore I hope that in the Committee of the Whole when proper amendments are offered and maturely considered. particularly the amendments I have in mind. they will be adopted so as to make this bill a better one. There is provided in this omnibus immigration bill. a very. very broad provision. empowering the President of the United States willynilly. on good grounds. orif I may be facetiouson coffee grounds. to suspend totally any immigration into this country. When we go so far as to give an administrative officer. even a President. by mere fiat the right to exercise such tremendous power. then we are departing from our wellknown traditional principle of government of law and not government by men. As much as I respect and admire the present incumbent of the White House. much as I respect the office of the Presidency of the United States. I do not want to give either the present incumbent or any future incumbent of the White House. the right to say that hereafter there shall be no more immigration into the United States. Yes. I would give that right to the head of the executive branch of our GovernmentI would give that right in time of war. in time of extreme emergency. but not certainly in times of peace. There is no differentiation made: The President has that right in times of peace. in times of war. in times of emergency. and in time of nonemergency. to shut off immigration. I think that is improper. and we should very carefully scrutinize that provision and strike it out.