Speech #930139222

Mr. President. I am introducing today a bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act. The proposed legislation goes a long way in continuing the reform effort initiated in the Immigration Act of 1965. which repealed the national origins quota system. In addition to strengthening the traditional immigration objective of family unity. to facilitating the admission of mentally retarded family members. to removing needless barriers to naturalization. and to providing special immigrant visas to Ireland. Holland. Poland. Germany. and several other countries disadvantaged in the transition under the act of 1965. the proposed legislation accomplishes two longsought objectives. First. it refines and strengthens the new system established in 1965. It not only remedies the confused situation in the allocation of visas to.applicants in Western Hemisphere countriesbut also provides a more orderly. flexible. and humane method of allocating visas to applicants of all countries. on a firstcome. firstserved basis. And second. the proposed legislation establishes a new humanitarian policy of asylum- for refugees and victims of natural disaster and war. I would like to elaborate briefly on these two major objections.