Speech #840189697

We call this the sheepherders bill. This measure is very much needed by sheep raisers in the Intermountain States who employ large numbers of sheepherders. The persons provided for in the bill would be immigrants who would help solve the problems which now confront the sheep raisers. Since it is an immigration bill. I wanted to bring to the attention of the Senate the fact that it constitutes in no way an immigration program for this year. The President of the United States. in his message to Congress early this year. called attention to the need for some amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act. amendments which he felt were reasonable and should be adopted by Congress. I introduced four bills to cover the recommendations made by the President. Hearings have been held on the bills. In fact. the hearings started last November on the general subject of amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act. A year ago last Mayin May 1955. to be exactI introduced a bill to amend the Refugee Act of 1953. The proposed amendments were suggested by the Administrator of the Refugee Act. in the State Department. I felt that they were sound amendments and should have been adopted. Numerous hearings have been held on this particular bill and on other bills which were introduced for the purpose of amending the Refugee Act. Nothing has resulted from those hearings except the hearing records. No progress has actually been made to secure the amendments proposed. I serve notice now that. so far as the administration is concerned. it is still greatly to the advantage of this country. as a matter of national policy. that the program suggested by the President to amend the Refugee Act and the Immigration and Nationality Act be adopted. I urge Senators. especially the members of the Committee on fhe Judiciary. to secure the fulfillment of this program. I have called attention to the program in connection with the bill now under consideration. The socalled sheepherders immigration bill is not a program. It is merely designed to alleviate a particular situation within the United States. I am very much In favor of it. and I hope it will be finally adopted.