Speech #890119600

This authority is provided so that we will have accurate and meanful reports on waiting lists in the future. We do not have such accurate reports now. A brief explanation is in order to the reasons why complete repeal of the national origins quota system will not take effect until July 1. 1968. The subcommittee was concerned that an orderly transition take place from the old system to the new system. It was equally concerned that all countries be on an equal footing. to the extent possible. when the new system would take effect. That is why the bill authorizes the use of unused quota numbers from the previous year to clean out the current preference waiting lists in the oversubscribed countries. The subcommittee was also concerned that an abrupt change might place the present high quota countries at a great disadvantage because in many of those countries it has not been necessary to file preference petitions because the allotted quota was sufficient to satisfy all the applicants who desired to emigrate to the United States. The 3 year waiting period provides ample notice to all present high quota countries that effective July 1. 1968. all such countries will be subjected to the ceiling of 20.000 per year and that preference classes will determine to a very large extent the issuance of immigrant visas among all countries outside the Western Hemisphere. Other minor changes have been made in the existing law to conform with the basic changes I have outlined. I am advised there are some serious misunderstandings about certain proposals for revision which have been proposed. which are not in the subcommittee bill but which some people continue to believe have not been rejected in the subcommittee bill. I have made an effort in the past several weeks to clear up these misunderstandings but apparently doubts still remain. For the RECORD. the following controversial proposals are not included in the bill as amended now before the House: First. There is no immigration board provided for in the bill. Accordingly there is no delegation of authority for the distribution of visa numbers among countries or classes of alien applicants. including refugees. Second. There is no delegation of congressional authority for setting immigration policy to regulate immigration into the United States. Section 401 of the Immigration and Nationality Act which established a joint committee to determine immigration policy remains in the law without change of its statutory duties. Third. The Attorney General is not given authority to parole refugees into the United States. The parole provision of the law is returned to its original intent. Refugees will not be paroled into the United States under the pending bill. Provision is made for the conditional entry of not to exceed 10.200 refugees per year. under a congressional definition. and a method in which U.S. officials are in control. from start to finish. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees makes no determinations whatever as to who is or is not a refugee under the bill before us. Fourth. There is no requirement in this bill. as amended. making it mandatory that all visas authorized be issued. The present permissive authority to issue visas to qualified immigrants remains intact. There is no provision in this bill. as amended. which allows the build up of a backlog of immigrant visas to be used in future years. Fifth. There is no waiver authority in the amended bill for the mandatorily excludable classes of aliens described in section 212 of the present law.