Speech #890120757

Mr. Chairman. the Nations gaze is today fixed upon a national policy which mirrors to the world an America where freedom and opportunity are meted out according to national origin and racial background. This policy is the national origins quota system upon which our present immigration regulations are based. It is not now. nor has it ever been. congruent to the democracy we are building. Four Presidents have called this policy unwise and unworthy of this Nation. President Johnson has said that the enactment of a new system replacing national origin quotas with an immigration policy based upon family relationship and needed work skills would be good government and good sense. In past Congresses I introduced legislation to this end. In this Congress I cosponsored the administrations bill as H.R. 2851. I have repeatedly urged that the present quota system be supplanted by a policy in line with the principles of a free and democratic nation. The bill before us today will replace the old quota system over a 3year period with a system under which preference is given to the reuniting of families and the admission of persons with special skills and talents useful to the United States. A ceiling of 170.000total immigrants is set. of which no more than 20.000 may come from a single country. Visas will be issued on a firstcome. firstserved basis to each of six preference groups. Each group is entitled to a certain percentage of the 170.000 total. A percentage is reserved for refugees. and the remainder of available visas. if any. will be issued to qualified nonpreference applicants strictly in order of date of petition. A reallocation of unused quota numbers from a quota pool during the 3year transition period will go a long way toward eliminating the waiting lists which in many countries have lengthened greatly over the years. Unused numbers under the present system are not transferable.