Speech #900216211

Speaker. I rise today to request my colleagues to join me in sponsoring and supporting my bill. H.R. 15274. which I introduced on February 8. 1968. to amend section 101(a) (27) (D) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101) by inserting after the language "vocation of minister of a religious denomination" the language "or serving as a missionary. brother. nun. or sister of a religious denomination." My bill if enacted would place any person of any religious denomination having a religious commitment such as missionaries. brothers. nuns. or sisters in the "special immigrant category." and they would then enjoy the same immigrant status as ministers of religious denominations who are now admitted to the United States outside of any numerical limitation. At the present time. all nuns are now eligible for the third or sixth preference and labor certification is automatically granted. since the Secretary of Labor has determined that categories described in schedule A are in short supply in the United States. However. after July 1. 1968. in compliance with the Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments of 1965. all immigrants will compete on a worldwide basis for visa issuance and visa applications will be processed on a firstcome. firstserved international basis on a preference category. This portion of the immigration laws which will be fully effective on July 1 of this year will adversely affect Irish nuns. Nuns. brothers. sisters. and missionaries will be required to compete with other countries which have built up long waiting lists. whereas ministers will continue to easily and expediently enter the country as special immigrants. In an attempt to rectify the effects of the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act on Irish. Italian and other immigrants. I have also introduced H.R. 6677 to restore the flexibility of the immigration laws definition of a "skilled worker." The present laws discriminate against Irish. Italian and certain other immigrants since they do not possess the skills necessary to qualify for an automatic labor certification. Such a person would be the agricultural worker. the farmer. the unskilled laborer. whose skills are not in great demand in this country. I earnestly believe that all persons of a religious order enter the United States with a firm conviction to God and themselves to help other people. Nuns. brothers. sisters. and missionaries who are teachers. doctors. nurses. and who do charitable work will certainly be of great assistance to every person with whom they come in touch. Because of their selfless religious missions. I respectfully ask that my colleagues consider the necessity and the urgency of their entrance in the United States as "special immigrants." I also urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives to press for immediate action on H.R. 15274 in order that persons with religious commitments may not be adversely affected by the new immigration laws after July 1. 1968.