Speech #890020666

Andrew J. Biemiller. formerly a Member of Congress. now the head of the Department of Legislation of the AFLCIO. which was circulated to all Members of the House of Representatives. together with a brief which was attached to the letter. I invite attention to a most startling and completely untrue statement which is found in the third paragraph of the letter. and reads as follows: Now the growers are urging that Public Law 414. the Immigration and Naturalization Act. be used as a means of circumventing the clear intent of Congress to stop all foreign farm labor importation. The growers have embarked upon a campaign against the Secretary of Labor because he has opposed this maneuver. Mr. President. Congress did not put itself on record in any way as having an intent "to stop all foreign farm labor importation" when it declined to continue Public Law 78 last year. To the contrary. at numerous places. in that debate. and by numerous Members of the Senate who participated in the debate. statements appeared showing that Public Law 414. the general Immigration Act. under which the New England people have always proceeded. because they have never used braceros. under which the Florida people have always proceeded. under which everybody in the eastern half of the United States has proceeded. would still be in force. Public Law 414 was not in any way affected by the termination of Public Law 78. and in no way was that legislation or the failure to reenact it to be so construed. To the contrary. the statement of the Under Secretary of Labor. which I read into that debate. contained the statement that California and other parts of the West were getting braceros under Public Law 78. the socalled Bracero Act. and were also. at the same time. getting several thousand laborers under Public Law 414. the general Immigration Act. This statement appears over and over again. When lobbyists for a labor organization stoop to the point of saying that the clear intent of Congress has been expressed to stop all foreign farm labor importation. and that somebody is trying to override that Intent. they are as wrong as they can be. and they know they are wrong.