Speech #1000042779

Mr. Speaker. the passage of the landmark Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 happened after more than 15 years of arduous deliberations in Congress and intense lobbying from immigration experts. employer interests. and advocates for aliens anticipating amnesty. In this massive document. there is a tiny provision allowing for an additional 10.000 nonpreference visas5.000 a year for fiscal years 1987 and 1988for 36 countries. Section 314 of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 was the result of many months of discussions in the House of Representatives and Senate on what to do about the decline of immigration from Europe and other countries since 1965. Out of that debate came a commitment from some Members of Congress to revisit this issue again during the 100th Congress. Section 314 and the explosion it created. was the final result of legislation I introduced in 1985 to allow for more flexibility in American immigration policy. My bill took into account. not only immigrants who have arrived in recent years as a basis for future generations. but also the historical patterns of immigration. H.R. 2606 provided for the issuance of additional visas to countries that had contributed to our melting pot in past generations and 30 percent of those visas would have been for those individuals who. through no fault of their own. were unable to claim one of the narrowly defined existing preference categories. Early in the fall of 1986. my bill was incorporated into the omnibus immigration bill enacted by Congress. the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Unfortunately. the Immigration Reform Act whittled down my