Speech #980217775

It has been updated several times. most recently in 1965. In the 97th Congress I proposed in a bill I authored. entitled H.R. 7060. that the registry date provision of the current law be moved from June 30. 1948. which is what it is today. to January 1. 1973. Subsequently. during House Judiciary Committee mark up of the immigration reform bill. an amendment was proposed to strike the general amnesty provisions of that bill and substitute it with the language of my bill. updating the registry date. which is much like what the amendment offered by my colleague. the gentleman from Florida will in effect do. Because of continuing debate over amnesty. that amendment was withdrawn. and the language of H.R. 7060. the registry date amendment alone. by itself. was adopted without dissent as a new section of this bill. currently section 302 in title III. The amendment of the gentleman from Florida . therefore. as I said. would strike section 301. leaving intact section 302. this registry date provision. Not only is this provision an acceptable middle ground. in my view. but it is a procedure with which immigration officials are already familiar. Furthermore. I believe that the legalization program contained in H.R. 1510 is setting a dangerous precedent. Since legalization has been under discussion in the past few years. illegal immigration has reached unmanageable levels. largely out of the anticipation of the enactment of the present bill. I am also convinced that this body has not given enough consideration to the compounded numbers which will result from the bringing in of relatives by those who are legalized. As well. while some consider this legalization program a "onetime thing." I am not convinced that further illegal immigration will not continue in the expectation of another amnesty perhaps 10 years down the road. While I realize that many people believe amnesty to be the only practical solution to our illegal immigration problem. I also question the legitimacy of "doing away with laws. simply because someone says they cannot be enforced." Why should the economic resources going into a legalization program not go into better enforcement of our existing laws? By way of economic resources. I am speaking. for one. of public assistance costs. I want my colleagues to pay particular attention to this. Those favoring the legalization provisions in this legislation are quick to say that the rate of dependence on public assistance is usually lower for immigrants. While this may be true initially. I am convinced that eventually the public assistance rate will rise at least to the level of the present American population. which is approximately 9 percent. according to the Department of Health and Human Services.