Speech #900235411

Mr. Speaker. as a cosponsor of H.R. 16593 and as one long interested in corrective legislation to restore equity to our immigration policies. I rise to express my support for H.R. 16593. a bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to make additional immigrant visas available for immigrants from certain foreign countries and for other purposes. This bill. if enacted. would cushion the possibility of drastic reductions in the immigration from the formerly favored nations of Western Europe without returning to a quota system. H.R. 16593 would provide an immigration "floor" for nations of Western Europe based on 75 percent of their average annual immigration for a 10year period from fiscal year 1956 to fiscal year 1965. The floor for each nation would never exceed 10.000 visa numbers. When the full scope of the Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments of 1965 goes into effect on July 1. two factors will contribute toward reducing immigration from countries which have historically supplied the United States with a vast majority of our immigrant stock. First of all. only one quarter of the places allotted under the new act are allotted to families who have no relatives in this country. The majority of places are allotted to immigrants with relatives in the United States. Secondly. the labor certification requirements affect certain nationalities which do not possess skills which are in short supply in this country. I respectfully urge early action on this bill in order to prevent a sharp decline in immigration from the countries of Western Europe after July 1.