Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to join with others of my colleagues who have indicated their support of the Presidents program to revise and modernize our immigration laws. The Presidents proposals are a muchneeded substitute for the discriminatory statute now in force. The enactment of this legislation. will effectively eliminate one of the most abusive laws now resting heavily on the conscience of this country. The key to these proposals is the elimination of immigration quotas based on national origins. Not only are these quotas discriminatory. they are also arbitrary and obsolete. The 1920 census figures on which they are predicated no longer reflect a valid image of the ethnic composition of this countrys population. Since 1957 I have been presenting legislation that would eliminate these national quotas by replacing them with a system that would discriminate against no individual because of his country of birth. This system would provide. without respect to nationality. for the immigration of people possessing skills needed by this country. of individuals whose close relatives are U.S. citizens. and of refugees who have been suddenly uprooted from their native lands. The enactment of this legislation will undoubtedly have a salutary effect on this country. for. by facilitating the entry of highly skilled individuals. by reuniting families. and by assisting refugees. we can only strengthen the fabric of our already diverse and talented population. The Presidents proposals embody. to a large degree. those ideas which I have advocated since I first entered the Congress. Consequently.
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