Speech #900204414

Speaker. I fully support the purposes of the bill. H.R. 15147 which amends the Immigration and Nationality Act in order to provide for the expeditious naturalization of persons who have served in combat areas in activeduty service in the Armed Forces of the United States. I regret. however. that the substance of my bill. H.R. 763. was not incorporated into the bill currently under consideration. Under H.R. 15147. the area in which the Armed Forces personnel serve will be designated by the President of the United States as an area involving armed conflict with foreign hostile forces. The past 100 years of American history have witnessed similar legislation concerning the naturalization of noncitizens who have rendered honorable service in the Armed Forces of the United States. However. exemptions granted to wartime servicemen and veterans have always been more liberal than those for service rendered during peacetime. On January 10. 1967. I introduced H.R. 763 to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act. My bill would grant U.S. citizenship for aliens who serve in the Armed Forces of the United States for at least 90 days during the Vietnam hostilities and who are then honorably discharged from the armed services. Congress enacted similar legislation during World War II and during the Korean war when the Immigration and Nationality Act was amended so that any member of the Armed Forces serving honorably in an activeduty status would be eligible to apply for naturalization if he were a permanent resident or had enlisted or had been inducted into the Armed Forces while in the United States. The privileges of citizenship should at once be extended to aliens who are drafted or enlist in our armed services. serve at least 90 days. may be sent to Vietnam or any other area of conflict. risk their lives in a real war. and are honorably discharged. It should be axiomatic that those who risk their lives in the defense of freedom are entitled to all of the benefits and privileges which we can bestow upon them. I trust that at a future date H.R. 15147. if enacted. will be amended to include servicemen who serve in noncombat areas as well. I therefore urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives to favorably consider not only H.R. 15147. but to consider the purposes of my bill. H.R. 763. by amending the present Immigration and Nationality Act to extend expeditious naturalization to all Armed Forces personnel of the Vietnam era. regardless of where they are stationed around the world serving the United States.