Speech #890120605

For example. let me read what those from Latin American countries must comply with. I am reading from page 14 of the report with reference to the certificate to be issued by the Secretary of Labor: The amended section 212(a) (14) represents a substantial departure from existing law. Presently. the provisions of section 212(a) (14) operate only when the Secretary of Labor invokes them by certification which has the effect of excluding any intending immigrant. within the scope of the certification. who would likely displace a qualified American worker. or whose employment In the United States would adversely affect the wages and working conditions of workers similarly employed in the United States. This procedure is reversed under the amendment. Responsibility is placed upon the intending immigrant to obtain the Secretary of Labors clearance prior to issuance of a visa. This provision is applicable to Immigrants from the Western Hemisphere. nonpreference Immigrants. as well as those preference immigrants who seek entrance into the United States for the primary purpose of gainful employment whether it be in a skilled or semiskilled category or as a member of the professions or the arts. The responsibility is placed upon the intending immigrant to obtain the clearance of the Secretary of Labor prior to the issuance of a visa. Heretofore and presently the Secretary of Labor would issue categories of labor that might involve surplus labor. Under this bill each individual must obtain a certificate from the Secretary of Labor which he presents to the consular officer. If he does not have that certificate the blame is on him for not getting that certificate. and he cannot get a visa to come into this country. In that respect there is a decided break upon the free flow of immigrants from any part of the world. particularly from the Western Hemisphere into the United States. The admission of additional workers will benefit our national economy because they will have dependents. namely. elderly parents. grandchildren. and so forth. These children would not weaken the employment situation. They would. on the contrary. strengthen the demands for goods and services and thus create more jobs. The bill provides for regulatory discretion which resides with the Secretary of Labor in imposing conditions to keep out immigrants who would take the work away from Americans or depress wages and working conditions. The restrictions are more severe than in the present law. Every immigrant would have to satisfy the public charge test of the present law before he could get a visa. This test was proven to be effective during the depression in keeping out those persons who were likely to become public charges. and it will continue to be so effective. There can be no fear of Communists or subversives entering this country. The same safeguards that are in the law with reference to internal security are maintained. They are not changed one iota. therefore. there should be no fear in that connection. Finally. the improved preference structure of the bill would help to stimulate business and should thus reduce unemployment and bring about a better selection of immigrants with outstanding talents. Think of immigrants like Steinmetz. the electrical genius. Giannini. the banker. Sikorsky. the inventor. Fermi. the atomic pioneer. Such immigrants instead of taking jobs away from Americans helped to create whole new industries that created thousands and thousands of new jobs for our people. Finally. Mr. Chairman. I want to say that this bill is a bill that provides for the establishment of a system of immigration based on principles of justiceprinciples that will redound to the benefit of America and its people. It is the execution of a principle and not a mere exercise in numbers. The abolition of the national origins system would signify to all our maturity and the casting off of unreasoning fear.