Speech #890119642

Is to continue the past policy as the gentleman from Missouri suggested. * The Chairman. It is true without question as each of the former British colonies In this hemisphere seek and obtain their .independence there is the continuing question as to what we are going to do in relationship to that nation which is now independent. What we do very frankly in this bill is treat them as an independent nation in the Western Hemisphere. giving them the same rights and privileges that our immigration law -has presently included. But we have impressed upon them. I believe it is fair to say. some qualifications and quantitative standards which are not now in present law. There isand I think everyone in this House ought to know right now--every reason to believe without question that Western Hemisphere immigration can escalatecan go up. Simply. may I state that that could happen if we were not even here discussing this bill. because of the free flow option that Western Hemisphere countries have had for immigration into the United States. Beyond that. may I make a further observation. that there is perhaps nothing in the ultimate. but there are several sections of this billand may I say specifically. language of which the gentleman in the well is the author. that attempts to restrict the flow of Western Hemisphere migration so that we can continue to have an orderly pattern of immigration worldwide including the Western Hemisphere. Mr. Chairman. I had started to talk about the question of how in the world we got so many immigrants outside of the national origins system. May I say to the House and to this committee that that imbalance about which you hear today has been a situation which has existed since 1957 and some here perhaps have had an opportunity of having voted in the affirmative to encourage an expansion of our immigration programs from 1957 forward. You have had since 1957. and every year since. broad new laws admitting. outside of the national origins system. highly skilled specialists. relatives of U.S. citizens. and permanent resident aliens. as well as refugees. into this country. Always. however. on a piecemeal basis. never reaching the real core of the problem. In 1958 the Congress passed four such laws. In 1959 we granted nonquota status to relatives of U.S. citizens. and residents who had been on the waiting list for 10 to 15 years. without regard to the national origins system. The act of July 14. 1960. admitted more Portuguese and more Dutchmen. as well as authorized the paroling of refugees with the builtin provision permitting the Attorney General to adjust their status to that of permanent residence after they had spent 2 years in the United States. In the 87th Congress. under the act of 1961. expedited the reuniting of families. and we moved the date up in that particular instance to give nonquota status to certain of those registered in the quota areas. So. each step that the Congress itself has made has. in effect. done violence to the national origins concept. as far as our immigration laws are concerned. In short. I think it Is fair to say that every Member of this body who has been here since 1957 has time and again. it Is my recollection. supported time and again. the expansion of our immigration policies. and a further drifting away from the national origins concept. May I say to the members of this Committee the bill before you today places its first emphasis on the reuniting of families. and merits your consideration.