Speech #910019038

Speaker. I commend my colleague. the distinguished gentleman from New York. for taking this special order In order to discuss a serious problem. I am a cosponsor of H.R. 166. a bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. CXV---431Part 5 I cosponsored identical legislation in the 90th Congress. The intention of the 1965 act was not to end the opportunity for nationals of any country to enter the United States but rather to make immigration into the United States more equitable and in a sense more open to the peoples of the world over. On its face. the 1965 act was an excellent piece of legislation. It was designed to end the country quota system that was deliberately discriminatory. Its aim was admirable and the reforms it brought about were muchneeded and long overdue. However. as a result of that legislation. a new and equally unfair legal discrimination has developed. The people of the nations of northern Europe and the British Isles. who had previously been favored in our immigration policy. now find it extremely difficult to immigrate to the United States. This situation was unforeseen by the Congress when we considered this legislation in 1965. Ireland is a good case in point. The State Department assured the Congress that immigration from Ireland. after the 1965 act had its full effect on July 1 of this year. would probably be maintained at 5.200 annually. Yet in the 3 years since the bill was passed. but before it had been completely effectedthat is while policy toward Ireland was still more liberalIrish immigration has steadily declined from 4.004 in 1965 to 1.809 in 1967. The reasons are apparent. The new immigration law replaced the country quota system with seven categories open on a firstcome. firstserved basis. Of the total number of immigrants. almost threequarters will be able to enter the country as close relatives of citizens and permanent residents. The biggest part of Irish immigration came in the latter half of the 19th century and the earlier part of this century. Consequently. there would be few sons. daughters. parents. brothers and sisters of Irish immigrants who still reside in Ireland and want to come to this country. Since the Irish do not qualify under refugee status. the only categories left are for members of the arts. sciences. and the professions. and for skilled and unskilled labor. filling a shortage in the United States. The quota for these categories is very small. What has occurred and will continue to occur is that unskilled labor finds it almost impossible to immigrate to the United States. Our Nation. the great. democratic. open. melting pot of the world was built by the people of all nations. The great American dream for people around the world was that any man willing to work hard had a place in our country. We have become the greatest nation In the world because people from every continent. of every race. creed. and national origin have come here full of hope. and have built America. The days of completely open immigration are gone. But I do not think our Nation can afford to allow the great decline in immigration among the people of any nation. I believe this measure is necessary In order to end the unforeseen inequities brought about by the new Immigration and Nationality Act and to bring about the most equitable immigration policies possible. I am hopeful that the subcommittee and the full committee will soon report this bill to the House so that we may have the benefit of debating it on the floor.