Speech #890119658

The first two categories of the eight set up in this bill give their first attention to the reuniting of families. A new class is created covering the professions. scientists. and other alien applicants with high education and training. as distinguished from the skills and crafts needed in the United States. which are put in a lower preference bracket. In addition. we have created a new preference class for refugees. with a maximum annual ceiling of 10.200. and we have returned the "parole" section r of the law to its original intent. so that there cannot be flexibility or playing with the number of those intending to come into the country by utilization of certain areas of the law which it was not * the intent of the Congress be used for determination of admission of Immigrants. The limit of 170.000 is established on the number of immigrants we will take from all countries external to the Western Hemisphere. Since the ceiling of 170.000 includes the 10.200 refugees. the net increase--this is someting Members should be interested inover the present quota of 158.561 is approximately 1.200 numbers or 1.200 visas or .1.200 immigrants. whichever way one desires to translate it. In this proposed legislation new and stricter labor controls are included in the amended bill which require that the Secretary of Labor must make an affirmative ruling that all immigrants other than the relative preference classes and refugees will not compete with an American worker for employment opportunities in the specific locations of the country where there are job openings. and will not upset competitive wage rates. A new orphan section provision consolidates three sections in the present law to provide a clearcut definition of an eligible orphan. Epilepsy was removed as a ground for exclusion because the committees testimony indicated that it is not communicable and can be controlled with modern medication. A new class of excluded areas was also created. which includes those that today have. or participate in. some sort of sexual deviation. We have added that to the phrase. psychopathic personality. and also given attention to the question of physical persecution as a ground for suspension of deportation. Still another tightening up provision in the amended bill is the requirement that the President must report to the Congress any time the Western Hemisphere immigration should increase substantially. Specifically the language of the bill is in any year that immigration from the Western Hemisphere shall increase by 10 percent over the annual average immigration in the Western Hemisphere for the last 5 years. the President of the United States shall report the same to the Congress with any recommendations he may make. if any. to handle this situation. May I conclude by saying for the members of the committee that in my judgment H.R. 2580. as amended by the subcommittee and approved by the full committee. provides for a much stronger and more constructive and fairer immigration system than this country has ever had. I am pleased to have played a minor part in bringing this bill to the Congress and to the floor of the House for your consideration. and I urge its adoption.