Speech #970275711

Individuals who can prove continuous residence between 1977 and January 1. 1980. can be granted temporary resident alien status which may be upgraded to permanent resident status after 3 years. After an additional 3 years. they too will be eligible for Federal benefits. I can appreciate the fears of exploitation and discovery that the estimated 3 to 6 million undocumented aliens may live under. but at the same time. feel that there are too many unknown variables surrounding this proposal. We do not know how many of the aliens will choose to take advantage of our offer. whether the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) has the staff and resources to evaluate the claims for legalization. how many eventually will be eligible for Federal assistance. and how this legalization program will affect our already staggering unemployment rate. The 3year waiting period for eligibility for Federal benefits will stall the costs to the Federal Government. but we have no idea how much it eventually will cost. Our experience with the refugee program points up the interminable costs associated with 100 percent Federal reimbursement to States. I have supported this policy because the Refugee Act of 1980 was a Federal initiative. and for consistencys sake I would have to support having the Federal Government pay all costs associated with the legalization program. However we all know that authorizations and appropriations are two different things. and congressional intent is not always translated into action. particuarly at a time when Federal spending is being reduced. In California. and perhaps in other States. there is a discrepency between State refugee expenses and Federal reimbursement. Federal auditors are in the process of reconciling this difference. and the Secretary of Health and Human Services has indicated that the Federal Government will reimburse California 100 percent for the shortfall. In the meantime. however. this shortfall has put a severe strain on State and county budgets. and the resentment that this benefit program has engendered among American citizens is growing. Unfortunately. it is difficult to be charitable during these times of economic distress. and I can see the same sorts of problems occurring with the impact of legalization on States and counties. I. therefore. favor the more moderate and gradual approach of moving the registry date from 1948 to 1973. This will allow the Attorney General to lawfully admit. at his discretion. undocumented aliens in the United States who entered prior to 1973. who have resided in the United States continuously since then. are of good moral character and eligible for citizenship. and who are not inadmissible because of certain past actions. This would allow the program to be tested on a more modest scale. and would allow time to refine any problems connected with employer sanctions. an identification system. and costs of the program. It would also lessen the unfairness to those who have waited for years to enter this country legally.