Mr. Speaker. nowhere on the congressional platter for this calendar year is the issue of immigration reform. Mr. Speaker. I think it is critical that the Congress give immigration reform legislation a greater priority and that this body act on immigration reform legislation this calendar year. As chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and as an individual Member of Congress. I pledge my willingness to work for a bill which is not only effective and fair. but has a real potential for enactment. Toward this end I have met with Speaker ONEILL to express my views. Mr. Speaker. there is a foreign policy dimension to the immigration issue that we have not yet effectively considered. Such initiatives. primarily with the Government of Mexico. could include: First. a free trade and coproduction zone along the United StatesMexican border. second. a United StatesMexican bilateral commission. third. a joint United StatesMexico development bank. and fourth. a multilateral commission on immigration. Mr. Speaker. the Congress should act on immigration legislation expeditiously this calendar year. Mr. Speaker. I include my testimony before Senator ALAN SiMnsoNs Judiciary Subcommittee. as follows: Mr. Speaker. I thank you for this opportunity to appear before you today to discuss S. 1200. the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1985. I am not here today to endorse your bill. Mr. Speaker. for I believe. as I have said before. that it is regressive. punitive. and above all. lacking compassion and fairness. elements which have for so long represented the essence of this countrys traditional immigration policy. Nor Mr. Speaker. am I here only to criticize and nay say.
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Immigration immigration