Speech #890120770

Mr. Chairman. I am indeed pleased to address my colleagues today on the subject of amending our present. outdated public immigration laws. Our last four Presidents have urged changes In our immigration laws. but this is the first time in those years that the House itself has had a chance to vote on the question. Now. with that opportunity finally before us. I am hopeful that this body will take the positive action of approving these proposals. As has been outlined so ably by the distinguished chairman of the Judiciary Committee. the gentleman from New York [Mr. CELLER. the bill calls for a phasing out of the present national origin provisions of the current law. It sets up Instead a total limitation of 170.000 on the number of quota immigrants allowed in each year. no more than 20.000 of whom may be from any one country. Within these overall limitations. the bill rearranges the preference categories to give special priority to the immediate family of present U.S. citizens. to those with particular skills and training that the Secretary of Labor certifies are not available in this country. and to 6 percent of the total held for political refugees. Mr. Chairman. I am particularly pleased that by passing H.R. 2580. we will abolish once and for all the unfair national origin quota system. Under this system the census figures of 1920 have been used to set archaic and discriminatory limitations on the number of immigrants that are permitted into the United States each year. And I am equally elated that this bill will insure that U.S. citizens will not be forced to live apart from members of their immediate family. their husbands. wives. parents and children. as so often is the case under the present provisions of the law. I submit to my colleagues that the present quota system is full of inconsistencies. the greatest of which is that it unfairly singles out the citizens of certain countries and specifically says that people with this background may not come into our country. or that they may come in but only in small numbers. This discrimination is a complete contradiction to the principles of democracy on which this Nation was founded and has grown strong. As such it should and must be abolished. not only as a matter of selfrespect. but so that our friends and allies around the world will know that America practices what she preaches.