Speech #870151764

Mr. Speaker. when the 2d session of the 87th Congress convened on January 10. 1962. I introduced H.R. 9493. a bill to reunite families in the United States by granting nonquota status to certain aliens entitled to a preference under the Immigration and Nationality Act. I have purposely delayed my remarks on the bill pending the receipt of vital data from the Department of State. Mr. Speaker. the purpose of my bill is to alleviate the horrible conditions existing under the complicated procedure contained in the immigration law. which prevents alien members of families in the United States from coming here to join themdue entirely to the oversubscription of the quota. In particular. I have reference to the situation of the worthy people who have come here from Italy and find to their dismay that memof the families who were left behind only because there were no quota numbers available were unable to come here with them or to join them. On September 26. 1961. it is true. a law was enacted which granted nonquota status to alien family members who were waiting for quota numbers under the second. and the third preference for whom visa petitions had been filed prior to July 1. 1961. However. nothing was done about the people in the fourth preference category notwithstanding the fact that they also were the beneficiaries of approved petitions for quotas visas. Those people to whom I have particular reference are the brothers. sisters. married sons or daughters of citizens of the United States. There is no reason in the world why they should have been excluded from the law which was passed last year.