Speech #890120787

Mr. Chairman. we are about to vote on another of the historic legislative measures to come before the 89th Congress. The reforms in our immigration laws which this bill provides are long overdue. For many years the national origins quota system has resulted in grave injustices and has effectively prevented tens of thousands of people with much to contribute to our country from immigrating here. The quota system has also prevented many families from being reunited. I particularly welcome in this bill the elimination of the last vestige of discrimination against Asians. This type of discrimination against Asians was something my father fought against during his years in the Senate from 1924 to Immigration has been a source of enormous strength to our country and this bill will carry on that tradition more effectively than in the past. My congressional district contains an unusually high proportion of citizens who came to this country as immigrants or whose parents did so. I am sure that the overwhelming majority of my constituents are strongly in support of the principles of the legislation before us. Last June I sent out a questionnaire which included a question on "the Presidents proposal for replacing country quota system with standards favoring workers with needed skills and relatives of people in the United States." Of the 8.000 replies received. 78 percent indicated their approval of the Presidents proposal and only 15 percent their disapproval. I hope very much that this bill will be overwhelmingly adopted by the House and that any weakening amendments will be defeated. I particularly oppose the socalled MacGregor amendment. which would unnecessarily offend our neighbors in this hemisphere by imposing upon them for the first time a ceiling on immigration. There should be no concern that this bill will contribute to unemployment in this country. There are ample safeguards in the bill to prevent that. including a new requirement that the Secretary of Labor certify that adverse effects will not result in the areas concerned. At the same time. this bill will make it possible for us to live up to our traditions as so beautifully stated on the Statue of Liberty. It is appropriate that in this year in which we are about to adopt a historic change in our immigration laws. we should also be preparing to do adequate honor to our past immigrants by making Ellis Island a part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. I am proud that my bill to accomplish this result was enacted by the Congress and signed by the President on August 17.