Speech #870303031

Mr. Speaker. I should like to make a brief statement on the stopgap immigration billS. 3361that is now making its way through the House and Senate. This is good legislationso far as it goesand I am in favor of it. But I should like to make it clear that bills of this type are not satisfactory to me or to my colleagues who would like to see a major overhaul of our immigration policies. especially with respect to the national origins quota provisions of the law. The bill would facilitate the immigration of certain skilled specialists and certain relatives of U.S. citizens. First. it would grant nonquota immigrant status to fourth preference aliensthat is. the brothers. sisters and married sons and daughters of U.S. citizenswho have been registered on a consular waiting list since March 31. 1954. An estimated 16.000 aliens would be allowed admission under this provision. These aliens. in my opinion. deserve to enter the United States. They have been separated from their family membersbrothers. sisters or parentsfor a long time and have been seeking to rejoin them for over 8 years. Second. the bill gives nonquota status to skilled aliens in the first preference class on whose behalf petitions were filed with the Attorney General prior to April 1. 1962. I am told that some 7.000 immigrant families would be granted admission for permanent residence under this provision and that most of the skilled aliens affected are already in the United States. many of them doing vital defense work right now. NOTE.-At the time of this writing the bill is scheduled for a conference to be held on October 9 on the differences between the bill as passed by both Houses. These differences are: First. the House deleted a provision to permit the creation of a record of lawful admission for permanent residence for aliens who entered the country before December 24. 1952. and second. the House inserted a provision that the head of the Bureau of Security and Consular Affairs be designated an Assistant Secretary of State. Mr. Speaker. I welcome this legislation. but it is just a further bit of evidence. in my opinion. of the need to correct the basic inequities in our immigration quota system. It will help to meet the backlog on the oversubscribed quota lists. but it is nothin more than stopgap. backdoor legislation. When are we going to face up to reality and admit that we must drastically revise our quota provisions and establish an immigration systern that is both sound and equitable? Until we do so we cannot honestly say that our immigration law is at one with the inspired words of Emma Lazarus which are inscribed on the Statue of Liberty: "Give me your tired. your poor. Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.