Speech #880122531

Mr. Speaker. I commend the President on his proposals to Congress for major changes in our present immigration laws. This legislation should be one of our first orders of business when the second session of the 88th Congress convenes in January 1964. My deep interest has led me to cosponsor the administration bill. My bill is H.R. The chief purpose of the bill is to eliminate the discrimination inherent in the national origins system. No one can seriously deny that this system does discriminate unfairly against many people of the world whose friendship we want and seek by other means. As President Kennedy remarked in his immigration message. the national origins quota system is an anachronism in todays world and its use today "is without basis in either logic or reason." Whatever basis in logic or reason it might have once had. it is now outmoded. out of date. and out of step with our national sentiments and objectives. The Presidents recommendations. incorporated in my bill. represent for the first time in many years. specific proposals to abolish the national origins quota system. Much of Americas strength can be attributed to the diversity of our population. Immigrants from many lands contributed to this countrys growth and prosperity. Our present national origins quota system is based on the composition of our country in 1920. and as the President pointed out. "It neither satisfies a national need nor accomplishes an international purpose." The present system results in hardship because some of the nations most favored with quotas have few wouldbe immigrants. while other nations with vast numbers seeking admission have smaller quotas. About 60.000 quota numbers go unused each year. while tens of thousands from less favored lands must wait indefinitely. Our American heritage demands an immigration law inspired by a humanitarian spiritnot discriminatory immigration laws that bar entry to the United States on the basis of race or national origin. In place of the national origins quota system. our new bill would write provisions into the immigration law allowing for the selection of immigrants based primarily on the qualifications of the immigrant. During a 5year phaseout period the national origins quota would be reduced at the rate of 20 percent annually. After this 5year period. no preference would be given to the inhabitants of one country over.-another. All quota immigrant visas would be issued on a firstcome. firstserve basis to all eligible immigrants. subject only to the limitation that immigrants from no one country could use up more than 10 percent of the total worldwide quota at the expense of potential immigrants in other countries. Every immigrant would still have to meet the rigid personal qualification requirements in order to gain admission. No paupers. no subversives. no convicts. or others of undesirable character would be allowed in under the bill. The overall quota would be increased slightly. from around 157.000 to around 165.000. This does not represent any letting down the floodgate. Under our present quota system. Great Britain is allowed to send us over 65.000 quota immigrants a year. if that many wish to come. which they do not. At the same time. the quota for Greece is 308. Thus. the present system denies entry to the 309th quota immigrant from Greece. while many thousand quota visas go unused under the British quota and those of other countries. In 1962. for example. only 23.447 quota immigrants entered the United States under the British quota. This means that over 40.000 British quota visas were unused that year. The system proposed as a replacement for national quotas would give first priority to persons of useful skills and attainments on the basis of ability to add to our national welfare. Second priority would be given to persons whose immigration would reunite a family. to the unmarried adult daughter. for instance. of parents already in the United States. Other prospective immigrants would be given consideration on the basis of priority of registration. Mr. Speaker. I have tried to mention the main provisions of the bill. I see no threats to our national welfare or economy in the bill. It simply provides for a more sensible method of allocating immigrant visas than exists under present law. I hope the Congress will act on this important legislation early next year. In closing. Mr. Speaker. I insert here a summary of the major provisions of the proposed new immigration bill. prepared by the State Department: