Speech #890312321

Mr. President. the principal purpose of the bill. as agreed to by the conferees. is to permit the adjustment of status in the United States of certain Cuban refugees who arrived in the United States subsequent to January 1. 1959. As passed by the House of Representatives the bill. H.R. 15183. authorized the Attorney General to adjust the status of the Cuban refugees who arrived in the United States subsequent to January 1. 1959. to that of permanent residents and to make the adjustment effective as of the date of approval of the refugees application for adjustment. The Senate amended the bill to permit the adjustment of any native or citizen of Cuba in the United States regardless of his date of entry. and in addition. certain refugees from the Dominican Republic who arrived in the United States between April 24. 1965. and June 2. 1966. who had been displaced from that Republic as a result of military operations. The House bill was also amended to provide that the adjustment of the status of the Cuban and Dominican refugees would be retroactive to the date of their original arrival. However. the Senate added the requirement that these refugees must have been physically present in the United States for a period of 2 years in order to be eligible to apply for relief. The conferees agreed to limit eligibility for relief under the bill to Cuban refugees who arrived in the United States subsequent to January 1. 1959. and have been physically present in the United States for at least 2 years prior to the time of their application. The conferees were of the opinion that consideration of the problem of the smaller number of refugees from the Dominican Republic should be deferred until the Congress returns in January. The bill. as agreed to by the conferees. provides that the adjustment of the status of the Cuban refugees to permanent residents shall be effective as of the date of their last arrival in the United States. or a date 30 months prior to the filing of their applications. whichever is later. As passed by the Senate. the bill would have permitted the Attorney General to record the lawful entry of those Cuban refugees who had departed from the United States and obtained immigrant visas as of the date of their original arrival in the United States as nonimmigrants or as parolees. or January 3. 1961. whichever date was later. The conferees agreed to authorize the Attorney General. upon application in such cases. to record such Cuban refugees admission for permanent residence as of the date of original arrival or a date 30 months prior to the date of the enactment of this act. whichever is later. The remaining provisions of the House and Senate bills are the same in substance. I believe that the bill. as reported by the conference committee. represents a fair reconciliation of the differences between the House and Senate. and I recommend that the Senate agree to the conference report.