Speech #910019030

Mr. Speaker. on the opening day of the 91st Congress. I joined 37 of my colleagues in cosponsoring legislation to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act. The purpose of this proposed legislation is to make additional visas available to countries which have been unintentionally placed at a disadvantage by the 1965 amendments to that act. A similar bill received widespread support during the 90th Congress. and I would like to take this opportunity to urge prompt action during the opening months of this Congress. The 1965 amendments have eliminated the prejudicial national origins quota system and have brought the number of visas available to most foreign countries considerably more in line with the number requested. However. new and unforeseen difficulties have arisen which require immediate attention. I am referring specifically to the current situation with regard to countries in northern and western Europe. and particularly Ireland. The 1965 amendments established a sevencategory preference system intended to give first priority to reuniting families. second to attracting needed professional talent and skilled labor to this country. and last and least. third priority to admitting refugees. Congress was unaware in enacting this legislation that severe discrimination against some countries would result. The hardest hit has been Ireland. whose high visa allotment under the old national origins quota system17.756reflects the fact that the Irish wave of immigration came early in the century and that most IrishAmericans now are third and fourth generation and have no immediate relatives in Irelandthat is. no relatives eligible for visas in the first. second. fourth. and fifth preference categories. These categories are. respectively. unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens. spouses and unmarried children of aliens admitted to the United States for permanent residence. married children of U.S. citizens. and brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens. Further. the two workrelated categoriesthird preference for professionals and other of exceptional training or talent. and sixth for needed skilled and unskilled laborare currently oversubscribed. with the few Irish who meet the requirements far behind in the firstcome. firstserved list because of their privileged position in the past. The result is that very few American visas are going to Ireland. Mr. Speaker. it is quite important. in considering this legislation. to reflect on the vital and lasting contributions made to this country by IrishAmericans through the generations.