Speech #1000071841

As important as it is to this country. it is perhaps most important in my area of the country. In fiscal year 1985. the last year for which figures are available. California led the Nation with over 70.000 persons who were naturalized. Yet at the same time my part of the country has been particularly afflicted by lengthy backlogs in the naturalization process. There has been a lot of effort made by the INS to try and take care of that problem. and it is now taking an average of about 5 months just to receive a disposition by the court. That is far better than it was several years ago. when it was over a 2year period of time. but a lengthy period of time for one to complete the naturalization process when they have completed all other aspects of the process and are entitled to be citizens of the United States. It is something we ought to be concerned about. It is particularly burdensome. I think. in periods of time when elections are coming up. and people who are on the verge of becoming citizens. have done everything they should to become citizens. are interested in the political process enough to exercise their right as a citizen. and are denied that opportunity. because the court date was not available to them before the election. It seems to me that many of us who have met these people who have become naturalized citizens recognize. for better or for worse. they take their citizenship more importantly and more seriously than those of us who have been born here. It is offensive to me to believe that those folks are denied the opportunity to express the most vital opportunity of citizenship. that is. voting. because of administrative delay. Since the INS currently does almost all of the processing. and makes the relevant recommendations to the court anyway. judicial treatment of these cases is in most instances largely duplicative. Administrative naturalization is therefore a most welcome legislative development. We have the opportunity to make some real headway in reducing unnecessary delays. In my area this reform in the procedures could cut this waiting period in half for those who choose to use it. And I would like to emphasize that the use of these new procedures will indeed be a matter of choice. This legislation will in no way compromise the right of the applicant to choose the judicial forum for the naturalization ceremony if that is his or her desire. It will not compromise the right of that applicant to choose the judicial forum for the naturalization ceremony. It must be remembered that these are people who have already waited 5 years to even qualify to apply for citizenship. It is not consistent with what should be a meaningful experience to initiate these "wouldbe" citizens with further torturous bureaucratic delays. The process of naturalization leads to the granting of a right that is envied by people throughout the worldthe right to be called an American. By making these procedures more efficient the action we take here today can restore some of the dignity to that process and I ask you to join me in supporting H.R. 735.