Speech #890161679

It is exactly by these standards of real substance and great national impact that this congressional session seems to have widely surpassed the accomplishments of any other congressional session in the past. I think any objective assessment of the bills that were adopted will clearly show that tremendous legislative strides forward were made in practically all the basic areas of human needs. human rights. human development. economic stimulation and conservation. of our natural resources. The most outstanding legislative breakthroughs came about by the approval of new programs providing medical care for the elderly. aid to all the children in the elementary schools and the elimination of the discriminatory national origins quota system from our immigration laws. These three legislative goals have been much debated in past Congresses but never achieved until this session. I am particularly gratified by the passage of this new immigration law. I was among the first advocates of this bill and it was originally approved by the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration of which I am a Member. This new law besides outlawing the national origins principle creates a revised system of equitable preferences for relatives of American citizens and. while strengthening the protection of the American worker against any possible competition in his employment. also grants preferences to prospective immigrants whose special skills are urgently required here. High on any listing of approved measures in the area of human needs we would have to mention. besides medical care for the aged. social security benefits expansion. extending the antipoverty program to insure the continued operation of such provenly effective projects as Head Start. community action council. the Job Corps. the neighborhood youth corps. and the works study program. providing special Federal assistance. in the elementary grades. to educationally deprived children from the lowest income families. the creation of a new Administration on Aging to initiate and develop programs of interest and value to our increasing numbers of older citizens. a new housing bill that includes particular consideration of the decent housing requirements of lowincome families and the approval of a 3year program of Federal grants to develop a series of regional medical centers throughout the country to fight the three worst afflictions of our modern societyheart disease. cancer. and stroke. Of course. as soon as we mention the area of human rights we have to immediately emphasize the enactment of the historic voting rights measure of 1965. This act. finally and forever. provides that every citizen anywhere in this country can exercise. as fully and freely as is humanly possible. his privilege to participate in all public elections. Also in this area we would have to list legislative actions taken to implement such essential objectives as fair employment practices. equal employment opportunities. equal wages for similar work. the socalled equal rights for women amendment and. in this category. I think we would have to add the Immigration reform bill. In the area of human development we would have to place foremost those measures providing a new system of student loans and scholarships to give every qualified student a chance to continue his higher education if he so desires. expansion of the manpower development and training program to assist the unemployed to learn new skills to qualify them for new jobs. extending the vocational rehabilitation program and including special consideration and assistance for the disabled veterans and the mentally retarded. enlargement of the war orphans educational assistance program. a new military pay incentive program. disabled veterans cost of living compensation increases. and creation of the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities. In the economic field we would have to give prominent mention to the elimination of a burden of more than $4 billion of excise taxes on the American consumer. the Public Works and Economic Development Act providing assistance to economically distressed regions. the State Technical Services Act to make the findings of modern science and technology more readily available to American Industry and commerce. major improvement and expansion in the loan procedures and amounts available to small business. approval of a Federal program of research and development in highspeed rail transportation. so vitally important to our State and region. and a host of less publicized measures.