Speech #920194447

Mr. Chairman. I commend the gentleman from New Jersey. the chairman of the subcommittee. for the fine work he has done on this and other immigration bills. Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of H.R. 9615. a bill to correct certain inequities which have developed since the passage of the landmark Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. It is appropriate. I believe. that we are considering this legislation on the eve of St. Patricks Day. The present law has inadvertently resulted in a drastic decline in immigration from previously favored nations. particularly Ireland. In fact. immigration to the United States from Ireland has dwindled from an average of 5.000 per year before 1965 to little more than 1.000 today. Germany and Poland also have been adversely affected and would benefit under H.R. 9615. In this regard. I am pleased that the committee has seen fit to adopt provisions substantially similar to legislation I have cosponsored for the past 4 years. Under my bill and under section 1 of the pending measure. Ireland would be entitled to over 4.000 additional visas in each of the next 4 years. Visas available to Germans would amount to 7.500 annually. and Poles would receive almost 3.000. Mr. Chairman. it is clearly against our national interest to discriminate. as we do under the present law. against the people of Ireland. Germany. and Poland. especially when one considers the outstanding contributions of these groups to our Nation. Science. religion. the arts and humanities. government and industryall have benefitted immeasurably from the legacy of our countrys Irish. German. and Polish immigrants. Surely we would have been the poorer if we had refused admission to immigrants blessed with such a high degree of ingenuity and initiative. Another significant section of the pending bill would reduce the backlog of fifth preference applicants from Italy. These are brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens who have been waiting for many years to join their relatives in this country. I understand that an amendment will be offered on the floor to weaken this part of the bill. The amendment. if adopted. would alter the permanent immigration law by restricting the fifth preference to unmarried brother and sisters of U.S. citizens. As a substantive change in the basic law. this amendment has no place in a limited. temporary measure such as H.R. 9615 and I urge my colleagues to oppose it.