Speech #870168257

Mr. President. I introduce for appropriate reference a bill to amend section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act8 U.S.C. 1151. The bill contains the following provisions: First. A change from the 1920 census to the 1960 census as a more realistic and desirable basis for the allocation of immigration quotas. Second. A method by which unfulfilled quotas can be used by those countries which have long waiting lists because of their filled quotas. The redistribution is to be made in the same proportion which the waiting list of any one country bears to the sum of all other waiting lists. To avoid excessive flooding from any single quota area. the bill limits the number of quota places which may be redistributed to any one country to the annual quota of that area. so that no country will have more than twice its regular quota in any given year. Since 1920. when the original immigration bill was written. a great many changes have taken place in this country. We have grown to a nation of 183 million people. and we have learned that America has traditionally benefited from immigration to these shores. Nevertheless. the law governing the number of admissible immigrants is still based on the 1920 census. so that only 157.000 persons are permitted to immigrate into the United States each year under the various quotas. A change to the 1960 census as a base for the total number of immigrants to be allowed would increase that figure to 300.000. not an excessive number in view of presentday needs. The reallocation of unused immigration quotas provided by this bill is desirable for the simple reason that the number of present immigrants is far below even that foreseen by existing law. Because the quotas of some countries are exhausted while quotas of other countries are not filled. only 96.104 persons were admitted last year. instead of the 156.787 allowed under the existing system if all quotas were fully used. This is a clear indication that substantial quotas go to waste which are desperately sought after by the many prospective immigrants in countries whose quotas are oversubscribed. Of the many thousands of people who wait for immigration. a substantial number consists of brothers. sisters. and married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens. Because they have to wait until there are vacant places in the three more privileged categories of immigrants provided by the present law. their chances of coming to the United States are almost nonexistent. Immigration legislation is of necessity a matter of statistics. numbers. and quotas. but we must not let these drab statistics obscure the vital realities behind them. This is a nation which was built by the immigrant. Part of the historical appeal of our country lay in the fact that until recent decades our doors were open to the homeless of the world. and distressed men and women the world over could come here to build a new life. A liberalized immigration policy will reopen in some measure the door which has been closed to many. It will make possible the reuniting of thousands of families. It will open up to countless others new opportunity and new hope. And for our own country it will mean new strength. new vitality. new creativity. new skills. as we continue to draw from that vast reservoir which has nourished our land for three centuries. Our entire history furnishes proof of the great benefits immigration has brought us. The present bill is intended to renew and increase these benefits. and is therefore recommended to the earnest attention of the Senate.