Speech #900180729

On October 11 I joined with the distinguished chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. the gentleman from New York [Mr. CELLERJ. in sponsoring a bill. H.R. 13453 to make a number of other changes in our immigration system. An identical bill was introduced on the same day in the U.S. Senate by the senior Senator from Massachusetts. EDWARD M. KENNEDY. for himself and 20 sponsors. These changes largely involve issues which were brought up in 1964 and 1965 when we were considering the Immigration Reform Act. but which were put aside at that time while we focused all our attention and devoted all our energies to the repeal of the national origins quota system. The bill would provide for the creation of a Board of Visa Appeals in the State Department. a Select Commission on Nationality and Naturalization. a statute of limitation against deportation for certain classes of permanent resident aliens. a complete reworking of the refugee provisions of the law. the conversion of all fifth preferencebrothers and sistersbacklogs pending on December 1. 1965. to special. ceiling exempted. applications with immediate visa issuance eligibility. and a number of minor amendments to both the immigration and nationality provisions of the basic law. My subcommittee will commence hearings on H.R. 13453 and other bills to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act early in the second session of the Congress. I am taking this opportunity not only to inform the Congress of this intention. but to place the various departments of the Federal Government and the representatives of the many private agencies which will be invited to testify on notice. so that necessary information may be gathered and positions prepared. to the end that we may speedily report out a bill to improve the basic immigration system. In addition to the queries that will be raised with respect to the specific language of the bills. answers will be sought -to numerous questions which the 2year experience has posed. Our inquiry will certainly seek to develop what changes should be made in the classifications of preferences. Specifically. what modifications should be made in the statutory language and in the agency administration of the labor clearance provisions. Should unskilled aliens be given any preference. even though there is a shortage of available U.S. citizens to fill the positions. such as in the domestic service field? Should labor certifications be issued in behalf of intending immigrants who have had absolutely no experience in the occupations for which they have been certified? Should penalties be imposed. and if so. of what nature. to those immigrants who fail to continue for any reasonable period in the occupation or in the geographical area for which they were initially certified? These are only a few of the areas which the Immigration Subcommittee will seek to probe. A 2year testing under the present law should have provided a reservoir of experience and precise statistics which should permit of definitive answers to our queries. The end result will be. not to alter the basic concepts which were embodied in the act of October 3. 1965. but to modify and refine aspects of the system which a 2year trial would indicate can be improved.