Speech #890071853

Mr. Speaker. today I have introduced an immigration bill designed: first. to bring immediate relief to the thousands of relatives of U.S. citizens and eligible aliens throughout the world in the oversubscribed countries who have been waiting for years for their opportunity to immigrate to the United States. and second. replace the national origins quota system with a worldwide quota. except for the Western Hemisphere. which will admit aliens without reference to the country of their birth on the basis of their relationship to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. and their ability to contribute needed skills to the United States. For a number of years there have gone unused in excess of 50.000 quota numbers per year because some countries have failed to make full use of their immigration quotas while in other countries the backlog of persons registered and waiting their turn has grown larger and larger. In 1964 some 55.317 quota numbers were not used. but at the end of the year a total of 831.881 registrations were pending in the oversubscribed countries. A total of 178.515 waiting registrants held preference status as relatives or urgently needed skilled persons. My bill will immediately relieve the tremendous pressure of this huge backlog by the allocation of a 3year period of the unused quota numbers to the oversubscribed countries. and retain in the Congress full responsibility for our immigration policy. Additionally. my bill will immediately: First. Admit parents of U.S. citizens as nonquota immigrants. second. remove the bar to the admission of epileptics since the ailment is now controllable by medication. and. third. overhaul and consolidate our refugee program permitting the admission of up to 10.000 victims of communism. persecution.* and natural calamity. subject to rigid health and security conditions. After an interim period of 3 years in which distribution of the unused quota numbers will permit clearing up the oversubscribed waiting lists. my bill will set a worldwide quota of 200.000 immigrants annually. The Western Hemisphere. from which some 140.000 were admitted in 1964. will remain nonquota. Without reference to the place of birth. immigrants will be granted visas on a firstcome. firstserved basis. with first preferences to relatives so that families may be reunited. and then to specially skilled persons whose services are urgently needed in our country. Immigration from any one country will be subject. however. to a maximum annual ceiling of 20.000. This bill will make our immigration current in short order and provide an orderly system of immigration. free of discrimination. based upon the best interests of the United States.