Speech #990281198

Mr. President. I rise in support of the conference report on S. 1200. the proposed "Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986." This legislation is the result of more than a decade of effort to reform the immigration laws of the United States. Mr. President. no country in the world comes close to attracting or accepting immigrants at the rate that our Nation does. This has been the case throughout our history and is a tradition of which we are justly proud. Today. however. the unfortunate truth is that immigration in the United States is out of control. It is estimated that illegal entrants now in our country number in the millions and continue to increase at a rate in the hundreds of thousands per year. This billwhile recognizing the great benefits the country obtains from new migrantsattempts to come to grips with the necessity that they be limited to an appropriate number. and be selected on the basis of family reunification priorities and preferences for skills needed in a highly developed nation. Mr. President. as my colleagues are aware. this conference report is the result of hours upon hours of deliberations by House and Senate conferees and their staffs. Great credit and congratulations must go to the distinguished majority whip. Senator SiMPSON. who. in his role as chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration and Refugee Policy. has labored tirelessly for 6 years to bring us to this point. He has been required to balance many divergent interests in crafting a bill to bring illegal immigration under control. My hat is off to him. Although I believe that. overall. this conference report will result in positive immigration reform and I will vote for its passage. like most of those who have reviewed its contents. I do not support every provision of the report. One provision in particular. known as the Frank antidiscrimination amendment. causes me significant concern.