Speech #930201024

Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to join my colleague from Pennsylvania. the chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration in support of S. 1206 as amended by our subcommittee. This amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act has passed the House during the 90th. 91st. and 92d Congresses. only to fail to be enacted due to lack of action by the other body. It is not a new concept. but merely updates the policy expressed in the present immigration law that those immigrants who have lived in our country for 20. years. and are over 50 years of age should not be subjected to one requirement for naturalizationthat of a knowledge of the English language. All those fortunate enough to have met these two conditions as of December 1952. the date the present law was enacted. have been able to seek naturalization without this one requirement. This bill would merely update that waiver of this single requirement and extend it to those who meet these conditions now and in the future. It is possible today that an immigrant could have lived in our country a total of 41 years. 19 prior to 1952 and the 22 years since. and still be denied citizenship due to a deficiency in his or her knowledge of English. I submit that 20 years residence. much less for 41 years should be more than adequate proof of ones allegiance to the United States and interest in and love for our country. Let us examine to whom this waiver would most likely apply. The beneficiaries for the most part would be those people who have spent at least their middle years here probably working hard to raise their families. However. if many years ago the home they established was in a neighborhood where others of their nationality lived. a common occurrence. it is not hard to understand how acquiring a knowledge of English was of lower priority than dealing with many struggles faced by immigrant families. Mr. Speaker. I might point out that we are addressing ourselves very narrowly to one obligation of naturalization. This bill does not affect. does not change the requirement for a knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the history and the principles of the form of government of the United States. Our subcommittee has felt. and this House has agreed in each of the last three Congresses. that the policy waiving the English language requirement should apply to all those persons who have lived here at least 20 years. and have passed the age of 50 years. The Immigration and Naturalization Service of the Department of Justice agrees. and I am happy to join the gentleman from Pennsylvania in urging that the House suspend the rules and pass S. 1206 as amended by our subcommittee.