Speech #920194526

Mr. Chairman. today we are considering legislation to improve our immigration laws by reducing the hardships placed on many of our families. Specifically. the pending bill. H.R. 9615. democratizes the system further by making special immigration visas available to natives of certain countries who were adversely affected by the 1965 amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act. The 1965 amendments spelled the end of the national origins quota system. which was to be phased out in favor of a more desirable "first come. first served" system. Unfortunately. the 1965 amendments provided for a 3year phaseout period which was not long enough. As a result. the backlogs of some oversubscribed preference categories were not eliminated as originally intended. and immigration from the former high quota countries was adversely affected. Immigration from Northern Europe. especially Ireland. was reduced tremendously. and the backlog in the fifth preference categorybrothers and sisters of U.S. citizensparticularly in the case of Italy. was not significantly reduced. The problems have not straightened themselves out. and we can now see that the only way to correct the present inequities is to adopt remedial legislation. Todays bill. H.R. 9615. is a temporary emergency measure to make special immigrant visas available annually to each country of the Eastern Hemisphere equal to 75 percent of the 195565 average visas issued. less the number of visas issued each year under the permanent provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. but not exceeding 7.500 visas per country per fiscal year. In addition. H.R. 9615 should reduce the backlog in visa issuance to brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens. The legislation would have the effect of being an extension of the transition period to the first come. first served basis for immigration regulation. In no way does the legislation return us to the primitive and undesirable national origins quota system. An amount of fairness would be instilled into our immigration policies. Primary benefits would be to Ireland. Great Britain.