Speech #850003834

On behalf of the junior Senator from New York . the senior Senator from Massachusetts . the senior Senator from New Jersey . the junior Senator from New Jersey . and myself. I introduce. for appropriate reference. a bill which would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act. Similar legislation was introduced in the 83d and 84th Congresses in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. This bill contains three titles. The first title is designed to eliminate certain serious injustices under the existing law. which were specifically pointed out by the President in a letter to the then chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. the senior Senator from Utah dated December 5. 1953. Among the problems dealt with are the unrestricted authority of Consuls and the Attorney General to give or deny visas without supporting evidence. the repeal of sections 350 and 352355. which provide for loss of citizenship because of residence abroad for both nativeborn and naturalized citizens. the restoration of preexamination which permitted an alien in the United States to become a permanent resident by obtaining his visa in Canada. and the change in the standard for granting suspension of deportation from "exceptionally and extremely unusual hardship" to "serious hardship." The second title deals with procedural injustices and inequities which have developed in the administration of the law. Among these are the need for the statutory creation of an Administrative Appeals Board in visa cases to review the questions involving the denial of visa and the application or meaning of State Department regulations applying to immigration. The third title modernizes the quota system by establishing the 1950 instead of the 1920 census figures as the basis for determining national quotas. This would go far toward alleviating the serious discrimination that exists with respect to nationalities of southern and southeastern Europe. from which area immigration is practically impossible today. Moreover. It provides for the redistribution of unused annual quotas to those on waiting lists of countries with quotas of 12.000 and under. I realize that other proposed legislation to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act has been introduced embodying certain recommendations of the Eisenhower administration. This bill should not in any sense be considered to be in any way a substitute for the legislation proposed by the administration. This bill contains many provisions. including the ones which I have herein mentioned. which are not touched upon in the administrations proposed legislation. with the exception title 3. Therefore. I am hopeful that the most important provisions of this bill will be included in urgently needed legislation amending the Immigration and Nationality Act. I ask unanimous consent that this bill lie on the desk until the close of business next Monday in order that other Senators who may desire to act as cosponsors may be able to do so. I further ask unanimous consent that the text of an analysis of this bill be printed in the RECORD at this point in my remarks.