Speech #890138271

S. 500. which has been so easily set aside in favor of H.R. 2580. The bill. S. 500. to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act. commonly referred to as the KennedyJohnson bill. since it embraces the recommendations made by the late President John F. Kennedy. as well as those of the present occupant of the White House. Similar recommendations were contained in the predecessor bill. S. 1932. 88th Congress. which was introduced on July 24. 1963. by Senator HART for himself and 26 other Senators. The bill. S. 500. did not embody a comprehensive revision of the Immigration and Nationality Act. but had as its primary purpose the abolishment of the national origins quota system and the substitution of a new system for the allocation of quota numbers. Briefly. over a 5year period. the present annual quotas would be reduced 20 percent each year with the numbers resulting from the reduction being placed in a "quota reserve." The numbers in the quota reserve would be issued without regard to nationality on a "firstcome. firstserved" basis. Thus in the fifth year after enactment there would no longer be national quotas as such. but all visas would be issued on the firstcome. firstserved basis under a system of preferences for certain relatives of United States citizens and aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence and certain skilled aliens. Prior to the beginning of this abolition through reduction plan. the minimum quotas under the present quota system would be increased to 200 for each minimum quota country. which would result in an increase in the present overall quota of 158.561 to approximately 166.000. In addition. the bill would have substantially enlarged the nonquota classes of aliens and the number of refugees who could enter the country each year. Total immigration under this bill would. therefore. be increased substantially. As a matter of interest to the Members of this body. and as background for our examination of this entire subject. I would like to refer briefly to a bill in the 88th Congress. S. 747. to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act. which was introduced by Senator HART on February 7. 1963. for himself and 34 other Senators. Senator HART had previously introduced an almost Identical bill. S. 3043. in the 87th Congress. Before the advent of the bill. S. 500. and its predecessor. S. 1932. which recently appeared to be the major vehicle of the immigration reformists and the politicians. this measure. S. 747. appeared to have the blessing of those bent upon repeal of the present national origins quota provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act and replacing it with a new quota formula. S. 747. or the Hart bill. as it was commonly referred to. also was primarily concerned with reforms in the immigration laws which would change the manner by which quotas are established and which would increase the number of aliens admitted as immigrants. The present quota would have been increased from 158.261. to an overall quota of 250.000 annually. Of that number 50.000 quota immigrant visas would have been made available to certain refugees and the remaining 200.000 immigrant visas would have been distributed under a quota formula based on. first. the relationship of the population of each quota area to world population. and second. the relationship of the number of immigrants who entered the United States from each quota area during the 15 years preceding the effective date of the act to the total number of immigrants who were admitted during such 15year period. Other provisions of this reform bill would have enlarged the nonquota classes and provided for the complete utilization of quotas through the pooling of unused quotas. all of which would have had the effect of substantially increasing the number of aliens who could be admitted annually. When Senator HART introduced S. 747 in the 88th Congress he characterized it as a reform bill which "follows closely the counsel and wisdom of Americas foremost immigration specialists." It was said to be "in line with the estimates of our leading economists both in government and in the private sector. regarding the number of immigrants this country can absorb." He then paid tribute to the American Immigration and Citizenship Conference and its affiliated organizations for the major role that organization had played in the development of this measure. He pointed out that an ad hoc committee of the American Immigration and Citizenship Conference had given 2 years of intensive study to American immigration policy and that the proposals contained in S. 747. and its predecessor. S. 3043. closely followed the recommendations of that organization. Yet. Mr. President. we find that many of the sponsors of this measure quickly abandoned their position based on the allegedly extensive. thorough. and searching study of American immigration policy by the American Immigration and Citizenship Conference and its many affiliated voluntary service organizations and community. civic. and labor organizations and embraced the proposals for the destruction of the national origins quota system contained in S. 1932 in the 88th Congress. which was introduced only 6 months after the introduction of S. 747. The abandonment so hurriedly of a position that was claimed to be based on the considered opinion of some of the best minds in the immigration field as the proper approach to immigration reforms in order to embrace the hastily conceived proposals contained in S. 1932. and now embodied in S. 500. indicates to me that those in the forefront of the demands for immigration reforms by their vacillations are sure of only two things: First. they want to abolish the national origins quota system and. second. they want to admit more immigrants. Such experimentation as this will never produce good legislation. Mr. President. the bill. H.R. 2580. has as its purpose not only an increase in the flow of immigrants into the United States. but also the alteration of the pattern of that flow. It seems to me that our national welfare and the security of this country demand that we approach this question of immigration reforms sensibly and sanely lest we. as the nation we know. perish.. In my opinion. we must have detailed findings as to how many immigrants we should admit and from what areas we should admit them. These findings must be impartial and unbiased and based on scientific facts rather than political opinion if we are to maintain a sound immigration system which will serve the interests ot every part of this Nation. In my opinion. it would be a grave mistake if we proceeded with haste to adopt new concepts unsupported by detailed factual surveys and studies. Certainly. there are opponents of the McCarranWalter Act but no one can say that that act was enacted in haste and in the political arena. A 5year investigation of every aspect of the immigration question in the United States. which was both extensive and intensive. preceded the enactment of that law. Its enactment was resisted to the last ditch. and I am firmly convinced that both its enactment and its ability to withstand subsequent assaults is the result of the fact that it had as its foundation a solid basis of findings which were impartial and unbiased. It would be extremely foolhardy for this body to proceed to a consideration of any of the pending measures without similar findings upon which to base its action. Sound legislation has never been the result of hasty and reckless action. and I sincerely hope that each of you will ponder well the disastrous results that could flow from the precipitate course that is being urged upon us. Let us now take a look at the bill before us to see just what it proposes to accomplish. From a study of the proposal. it is my understanding that H.R. 2580 would make the following basic changes in the Immigration and Nationality Act. and in making such changes would substantially modify the present immigration policy of this Nation: First. (a) The present system of national origin quotas is to be abolished on June 30. 1968. and a new selective system is established giving priorities to close relatives of citizens and alien residents. members of the arts and professions. needed skilled and unskilled workers. and refugees. (b) In the interim 3year period national origin quotas remain in effect. but the unused quota numbers are pooled and allocated under the new system of preferences to intending immigrants from oversubscribed quota areas. (c) Spouses. children. and parents of U.S. citizens are to be admitted without numerical limitation as immediate relatives. (d) Natives of independent countries of the Western Hemisphere are to be admitted quota free as special immigrants for an additicnal period of 3 years. On July 1. 1968. a numerical limitation of 120.000 annually would be placed on immigrants from independent countries of the Western Hemisphere unless the Congress enacts legislation providing otherwise prior to that date. A Select Commission on Western Hemisphere Immigration is established to be composed of 15 members--the Chairman and 8 members to be appointed by the President. 3 members to be appointed by the President of the Senate. and 3 members to be appointed by the Speaker of the House. This Commission shall study all aspects of Western Hemisphere immigration and report its findings to the Congress on July 1. 1967. with a final report on January 15. 1968. Second. An annual numerical limitation of 170.000 is placed on the admission of immigrants from Eastern Hemisphere countries. other than immediate relatives and including 10.200 refugees who may be granted conditional entries. Immigration from any foreign state outside the Western Hemisphere. exclusive of immediate relatives. is limited to 20.000 annually. Third. After June 30. 1968. the 170.000 immigrant visas will be allocated on a worldwide. firstcome. firstserved basis under the following system of preferences: (a) Twenty percent to unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens. (b) Twenty percent to spouses and unmarried sons and daughters of lawful alien residents. (c) Ten percent to members of the professions. arts and sciences. (d) Ten percent to married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens. (e) Twentyfour percent to brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens. (f) Ten percent to needed skilled and unskilled workers. (g) Six percent to refugees from communism. the area of the Middle East and natural calamity. Any numbers not required for issuance to the preference classes are available to nonpreference applicants. Fourth. The special Asiatic triangle provisions of existing law are repealed. Fifth. The Fair Share Refugee Act is repealed and all refugees henceforth must enter conditionally. Sixth. In the case of aliens who seek to enter the United States to be employed. the Secretary of Labor must certify. on an individual basis. first. that there are not available American workers to fill the particular jobs. and second. that the admission of the alien workers will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of the American worker.