Speech #890315012

Mr. Speaker. I support the conference report on H.R. 15183. the Cuban refugee bill and favor its passage. This bill will make it possible for natives or. citizens of Cuba who were inspected and admitted or paroled into the United States subsequent to January 1. 1959. to apply for adjustment to permanent resident status without leaving the United States. It will not mean that all Cuban refugees will automatically qualify for permanent resident status. Those who elect to apply may be adjusted at the discretion of the Attorney General. if they are otherwise eligible to receive an immigrant visa and admissible to the United States. This means they must meet the health and security tests for admission and are not disqualified by reason of any of the grounds for exclusion listed in our immigration law. This bill creates no precedent. for the same thing was done in 1958 for the Hungarian refugees. in 1960 for refugee escapees within the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. and the 1965 amendments to the immigration law contain a provision for adjustment of status for refugees from communism from outside the Western Hemisphere. This bill will assist many Cubans to make a greater contribution to our economic life and reduce the costs of our Cuban refugee program since it will permit a faster adjustment to selfsupporting status for many families. The talents and experience of many Cuban refugees are presently going to waste because the professional licensing laws of most of our States prohibit those without permanent resident status from practicing their skills and professions. With the urgent need in our society for professional skills. particularly in medicine. it is to our economic advantage to permit the Cubans to exercise their highest talents. Not only will their skills be preserved to the advantage of our economy. but the faith and belief in democracy of these refugees from communism will be strengthened. Mr. Speaker. the conference report does provide for a shorter residency qualification than did the House version of the bill. The House version provided that if the Cuban applicant was found eligible. his resident status dated from the date of such approval. Thus. under our naturalization law. a 5year period thereafter would be required before he could become a U.S. citizen. The other body proposed that the Cubans permanent resident status be retroactive to the date he arrived in this country. This would amount to immediate citizenship for manyall who came before 1962 would have been credited with 5 years of permanent residence. Your conferees were not able to sustain the House position on this point. but we did secure a compromise under which the absolute maximum anyone can receive by way of retroactive permanent resident credit is 30 months. This figure. 30 months. is the same amount of continuous physical presence in the United States as required under present law during the 5year permanent resident period for citizenship. In my judgment. the bill was strengthened in conference by adoption of a requirement that the Cuban refugee cannot apply for adjustment of status until he has been in the United States for 2 years. The bill was also strengthened by incorporation of the House date limitation so that only Cubans who have entered since January 1. 1959. are eligible for adjustment. In my opinion. the House conferees have obtained as strong a position with reference to the original House bill as was possible.