Speaker. putting politics aside for a moment. I think that most Members will agree that reform of our immigation policies is long overdue. We have lost control of our borders in recent years. withclose to 1 million illegal aliens apprehended last year by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. There is a bill pending on the House Union Calendar that attempts to address this serious problemH.R. 1510. the Immigration Reforms and Control Act of 1983. It is the product of four House committees and extensive hearings during the 97th Congress. Unfortunately. it has become caught up in the maze of Presidential politics. The Speaker of the House is blocking its consideration to prevent the President from using it to his advantage in the 1984 Presidential race. Regardless of your views on H.R. 1510. it can serve as a vehicle for purposes of addressing our immigration problems. The Senate has already approved an immigration reform bill. and I urge my colleagues to assert themselves on this issue by signing discharge petition No. 5 to bring H.R. 1510 to the floor so we can address this important issue.
Keywords matched
Naturalization Immigration immigration illegal aliens