Speech #900191368

Speaker. I am pleased to advise the House that my bili. H.R. 10135. to protect the naturalization benefits of an alien widowed by the death of the U.S. citizen spouse on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces. has been ordered favorably reported. by my Subcommittee on Immigration and Nationality. On two occasions in recent months an alien widow of one of our heroic servicemen killed in Vietnam was unabl._ to become a citizen immediately because she had not lived in this country for a sufficient period of time as required by our naturalization laws. Such a situation is intolerable. A widow who has made such a great sacrifice does not honor us by seeking citizenship. Rather. a grateful country is honored that she should seek the citizenship of her hero husband. In these cases. the wife of a serviceman had petitioned for naturalization. had complied with all of the requirements except the final hearing in naturalization court. but was unable to become naturalized. for shortly before the final hearing. her eligibility failed because her U.S. citizen husband was killed on the battlefields of Vietnam. This unfortunate denial of the naturalization petition must follow. for under the present law. the alien spouse of a U.S. citizen applying for naturalization on the basis of resulting exemptions from the usual residence requirements in the law. must be a "spouse" right up to the final hearing on the petition when citizenship is conferred by the courts. This bill specifically provides that no specified period of physical presence or residence within the United States. or residence within the State in which the petition is filed. or specified period during which the citizen spouse was a citizen. or specified period of marital union with such citizen spouse. shall be required in respect to a petition for naturalization under the amendment provided by my bill. To have the heartbreak caused by the death of a husband killed in the service of our country compounded by the denial to his wife of the very same citizenship he was fighting for. is most unfortunate. and should be corrected without further delay. The bill I introduced last session.