Speech #870077076

I thank the distinguished gentleman from Illinois. I know that the gentleman. himself. is the author of comprehensive omnibus legislation dealing with the problem of immigration. I think the gentleman. as well as I. have a right to ask that the appropriate committee of the House. the Committee on the Judiciary. hold hearings and that the majority side of that committee listen to our plea for a fullscale hearing on the subject of omnibus immigration reform. Mr. Speaker. as indicated. I am not going to go into details of the bill that I have introduced. Suffice to say for the present. it deals with the subject of the national origins system. deals with the knotty problem of reform in that area. It brings the quota system up to date by using as a base the 1960 census. It makes full and complete use of all unused quotas. It removes the builtin discriminations of the McCarranWalter Act. particularly those provisions which make unnecessary distinctions between naturalized and nativeborn citizens. and it deals realistically and positively with the subject of refugee legislation. one of the most neglected and one of the most important subjects of all. If the United States is to take a leadership position in the effort in the Middle East. for example. to relieve tensions in that area and other tensiondanger countries and areas then it must be willing at least to adopt domestic policies of its own that do not continue to reflect an obsession of exclusion. zenophobia is the word that is used. and we are still possessed with it and gripped with it here in the United States. Until this country is willing to act courageously on the subject and this administration push legislation or even offer legislation it seems to me we cannot hold our head up as high as it should be held in the council of nations.