Speech #970091893

Mr. Speaker. H.R. 4327 is a noncontroversial legislative package that will improve the efficiency of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. promote a more equitable application of our immigration laws and. at the same time. save several millions of dollars over the next few years. The legislation has overwhelming bipartisan support. having been approved unanimously by my Subcommittee on Immigration. Refugees. and International Law. and by voice vote by the full Judiciary Committee. A similar bill passed the House last year. It is strongly endorsed by the administration. H.R. 4327 is the product of lengthy study and deliberations by the subcommittee which commenced in 1979 with an administration proposal to "improve the efficiency of the Immigration and Naturalization Service." In addition. the committee bill includes a number of housekeeping provisions. some stemming from our consideration of private immigration bills and others relating to unnecessary and burdensome congressional reporting requirements. Both sets of provisions are intended to promote a fairer and more efficient administration of our immigration law. In general. the bill accomplishes this by eliminating some inequities in existing law. deleting certain requirements that have been proved to be impractical and unproductive. and clarifying certain provisions that have been affected by confusing and sometimes conflicting administrative and judicial decisions. Let me now briefly highlight some of the major provisions of the bill: Section 2 creates a new nonimmigrant classification for nonacademic students. This will enable INS to exercise greater control over this category of nonimmigrants and thereby minimize the incidence of abuse and misuse of student visas by nonacademic students and institutions. Section 3 eliminates unnecessary paperwork by deleting the requirement that approved third and sixth preference visa petitions be reported to the Congress. Section4 allows the Attorney General in cases of extreme hardship to waive inadmissibility for simple possession of marihuana for persons who are spouses. parents or children of citizens. or of permanent residents. Section 5 resolves several problems regarding foreign medical graduates. In particular. it grants permanent resident status to foreign medical graduates (FMSs) if they have been in this country for a lengthy period of time. It also extends the socalled substantial disruption waiver period to prevent a healthcare crisis in localities and States which are heavily dependent on FMGs. Section 7 allows excludable aliens to be deported to a variety of different countries. as opposed to existing law which limits deportation of such aliens to the country from "whence they came." Section 11 eliminates the annual alien registration requirement but continues to require change of address and reporting requirements for nonimmigrants. According to the Congressional Budget Office. this alone will save $800.000 annually. Section 12 makes several revisions to INS authority to seize and forfeit conveyances used in smuggling and transporting illegal aliens. Section 15 eliminates certain naturalization requirements. including the need for two witnesses. whose utility is of marginal value. This section will result in a savings of $1 million annually. Section 16 allows State courts with jurisdiction to naturalize aliens to retain up to $20.000 in naturalization fees. rather than the current $3.000. This will more adequately compensate the State courts for the increased volume of naturalization petitions and seek to assure that these courts do not withdraw from the naturalization process. The Senate counterpart has introduced a similar bill cosponsored by its Members. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill. It is an important first step in improving the administration and enforcement of our immigration law. Mr. Speaker.