Speech #920197296

Mr. Speaker. the passage by the House of H.R. 9615 is a welcome event in the lives of so many people. This bill creates additional immigration visas for a period of 4 years. It will do much to correct some of the injustices which resulted from the transformation of the immigration program from an earlier system based on national origin quotas to the present one of "first come. first served." It was not so long ago that the system of national origin quotas led to the parting and long separation of families. While one member of the family might be able to come to America. others would be left at the dockswaiting for an opening in the restrictive quota system. Years would go by with fathers living far from sons. with sisters separated from brothers. Each year the list of requests for visas would grow. each year only a certain number from any one country would be granted. No provision in the old law would allow the unused visas of one country to be transferred to those in another country. The Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments of 1965 eliminated the national origins quota system and provided for a certain period of transition to eliminate some of the backlog of previous visa requests. But even this welcome legislation had its flaws. The case of the present fifth preference immigrantthe brothers and sisters of U.S. citizensprovides a prime example. When the old law was repealed. 158.696 individuals fit under this category. Because the terms of the old law were overly restrictive to Southern Europeans.