Speech #840136160

That this provision may be waived on the recommendation of the Secretaries of State and Defense when determined by them to be in the national interest." We. therefore. recommend that a procedure be initiated whereby the right to waive this requirement is utilized. It is not here suggestednor would I suggestthat there should not be proper security procedures followed before permitting entrance of any person into the United States. The fact is. however. that applicants seeking admission under the Refugee Relief Act are already subject to the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. I do not believe .that there is anyone who would contend that the McCarranWalter Act does not contain adequate provision for screening out any immigrant who might pose a threat as a subversive to this country. What has happened in the case of the Refugee Relief Act is that a whole additional apparatus of security trappings has been erected on top of the already adequate provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Those who have worked closely with this program know that the administration of its security procedures has raised one of the greatest obstacles to expediting the processing of applications for admission under the refugeerelief program. The voluntary agencies most familiar with this program have indicated in their letter to the President the way in which this obstacle can. in part. be overcome by administrative changes. I think the President and Secretary of State should act immediately to accomplish these changes so that no additional time is lost in stepping up the number of applications processed between now and December 31. Mr. President. there are a number of proposals for legislative changes urgently needed contained in the letter to the President from the committee on refugeerelief program of the American Council of Voluntary Agencies for Foreign Service. I believe that they will be called to the attention of the appropriate committees of both Houses. However. as they are worthy of the consideration of all my colleagues. I would like to have appear at this point in my remarks both the letter to President Eisenhower and the accompanying statement entitled "Some Proposals by American Voluntary Agencies to the President of the United States for Facilitating the Refugee Relief Program." The letter and statement were ordered to be printed in the RECORD. as follows: