Speech #990082595

I think that this amendmentand I know the spirit in which it is intendedis something that strikes at the feelings of justice of the Senator from Illinois. But this amendment on this bill will greatly complicate it. I am going to put legislation regarding legal immigration into the hopper as soon as we finish this exercise of illegal immigrationwin. lose. or drawbecause I did not come here for the purpose of dabbling in illegal immigration for 6 years of my life. It was not an issue I sought. But in getting into it and trying to keep illegal immigration separate from legal immigration. I had a man spend 2 months on rewriting the INA. When I put that in. you will hear a response. I can assure you. because that is the most larded act. the most exceedingly complex and gimmicked piece of legislation on the books of the United Statesmore complex than the Internal Revenue Code. There are types of visas called 1B. C. D. E. F. J. (A)-all coming from the creative minds of immigration counsel down through the decades. And they are a skilled lot. I can tell you that. Representative MAZZOLI and I found that out. There are no bounds to what they seek in the way of rather extraordinary definition within the INA. But let me say this: We purposely omitted any substantial changes in the system of legal immigration in the bill. principally at the request of Chairman RoDINo who was a member of the Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy. That amendment. in truth. has been on that understanding. That is not to say that the bill will fail or it is a "killer amendment". I have not used that phrase in the bill and will not. But the select commission determined not to deal with the issue. any issue within the exclusionary area. knowing that it would only make much more complex and difficult the task of producing any kind of workable legislation to address illegal immigration. If some provisions need revision. the question of how to revise those will be extremely difficult. as I have already expressed. as I quote to you some of what they are. working on those proposals for the consideration of the new big bill. which is a complete rewrite of the INA. I do want to have the Senator hear that I think that when we use the term "freedom of speech." sometimes this is a misleading description of this area of exclusion. because even those who are held excludable under this section can have their views published or broadcast or televised in the United States.