With numbers of applicants such as are Involved here. the private bill technique is clearly inadequate. Thus this bill is designed to relieve the immediate problem until it becomes acute again. This was done once before with firstpreference applicants in 1958. when 7.366 applicants and their families were granted nonquota immigrant status under Public Law 85700. which was introduced in the Senate by then Senator Kennedy. Last session the same relief was provided for second- and thirdpreference applicants by Public Law 87301. Neither of these accomplished the general immigration revision which is so urgently needed to remedy the injustices of the present law and its failure to reflect our national policy. The logical method for dealing with immigration is a complete revision of our quota system. and I have introduced legislation to this end and urged this course countless times. Even Chairman WALTER of the House Immigration Subcommittee has recognized the inadequacy of the existing law by introducing legislation providing for a modest pooling of unused quota numbers. Last September. when the conference report on Public Law 87301 was before this body. I argued that until the Senate insists on broad revision and refuses to accede to piecemeal relief. we can expect nothing better. My words were not heeded and partial relief was again accepted. I maintain that the Senates insistence upon a broad approach is the proper method for general immigration reform. The problem here is one of national security and a multiplicity of private billshence I feel justified in the introduction of this measure. But the need for such a measure emphasizes again that Congress must face up to its responsibility to completely revise our outmoded and unrealistic immigration quota system.
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immigrant quota system immigration Immigration