Speech #990275061

Earlier this year. I sponsored legislation addressing this gross inequity. In a joint bipartisan effort. similar language was incorporated into the Immigration Reform Act of 1986. Under this provision. the inequities contained in the current preference system that discriminated against several countries were eliminated. Ireland provided close to 5.000 immigrants per year in the 1950s or 2 percent of the total number of immigrants. Last year. the number of Irish immigrants had dwindled to just over 500 visas or 0.2 percent of the total. Similarly. Italian immigrants in the 1950s accounted for 7 percent of the immigrants entering the United States. In 1985. Italian immigrants accounted for only 0.5 percent of new arrivals. The same case could be made on behalf of several other countries. The intent of this provision. as designed by Representative DONNELLY and myself. is to promote fairness in the current preference system. This provisions inclusion results in an additional 4.500 visas for Ireland. 7.500 visas fe� Italy and 3.500 visas for Poland. The same victory can be claimed for several other countries currently being discriminated against by the current preference system. Mr.