I refrained from signing the conference report and would like to explain briefly my reasons for doing so. There are a number of provisions in the bill reported by the conference which I strongly favor. For example. one section of this bill that I am extremely pleased with has to do with acceleration of the issuance of visas to aliens on the second and third preference waiting list. According to the State Department. approximately 18.000 aliens will be united with their families here in the United States if this bill is enacted. Most of these aliens will be from nations with a heavily oversubscribed quota. such as Italy and Greece.