The provisions of this measure substitute standards of skill for the present pattern of awarding admission to America based on birthplace. The proposal also gives preference to the blood relatives of American citizens so that families need no longer undergo the inhuman hardship of separation. While this immigration bill would revise and extend the opportunity of citizenship. it would have little effect on the total number of persons allowed admission annually. The approximate doubling in new quotas would be negligible. since current quotas presently permit 155.000 immigrants annually and special legislation adds another 150.000 each year outside the official quotas. I first offered the immigration reform legislation in May of 1964. Later last year. I testified in the bills behalf at Judiciary Committee hearings on this and other bills proposing immigration procedure amendments. Mr. Speaker. I include with my remarks the following sectionbysection explanation of the bill I am introducing: 1. An approximate doubling of the present 155.000 quota numbers to 300.000 annually. and the basing of future quotas upon onesixth of 1 percent of the total number of people in the United States as determined by any future U.S. census. A quota figure thus obtained would be distributed among the various nations in proportion to actual immigration and proven desire to enter the United States between 1924 and 1964. The actual increase in those coming to the United States would be negligible as special legislation regularly admits about 150.000 per year outside the official quota numbers. 2. Unused quotas in any given year would be redistributed from countries which do not use them (the United Kingdom) to countries which need them but do not have enough quota numbers (Italy).
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