Speech #890119809

Mr. Speaker. tomorrow. or at the earliest appropriate time. I intend to introduce an amendment to H.R. 2580. the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. My amendment would permit the naturalization as citizens of persons over 50 years of age who have been living in the United States for at least 20 years. The amendment would relieve the persons affected from certain hardships imposed upon them because of the present wording of section 312(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The language of the amendment is the same as the bill which I first introduced last year and which I have reintroduced this year. H.R. 3932. Last year. the bill won wide support. in fact. bipartisan support. I am hopeful that those who received it well last year will give it the same amount of consideration during the present debate. Section 312 now provides for a literacy test for all persons wishing to become naturalized as American citizens. Subsection (1) of section 312 contains a proviso excepting any person who on the effective date of the act is over 50 years of age and has been living in the United States for periods totaling 20 years. The crucial words in the proviso are "on the effective date of this act." These words create a closed end classification benefiting only those persons who came to the United States prior to December 24. 1932. that is. 20 years preceding "the effective date of this act." My amendment would simply change the language of 312(1) to read "at the time of his petition for naturalization." The change in language would create an open end classification. allowing persons to fall within the exception when they have lived in the United States for at least 20 years. even though they may have come in after 1932.