Speech #1010033691

Mr. President. today I am introducing legislation which will prevent the injuries and disabilities of nonU.S.-citizen veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States which were incurred or aggravated while they were on active duty from being held against them if they subsequently seek naturalization or admission to the United States. Since the earliest days of the Republic. our Nation has been a beacon to those who cherish liberty. When we have been forced to take up arms in libertys defense. that beacon has attracted to our colors the peoples of many nations. Lafayette was not the first to make our cause his own. and the Canadian citizens who fought in the Vietnam war will not be the last. The Congress has recognized that. through service in our Armed Forces. these noncitizen soldiers have forged a bond with our country. Among other things. we have made it easier for these individuals to qualify for future citizenship by allowing them to apply for naturalization upon completion ot 3 years active duty. However. it has come to my attention that there are circumstances that may defeat the purpose of congressional intent and erect an unnecessary barrier between these veterans and our country. For example. a servicemember who is injured or disabled while on active duty may be given a medical discharge prior to the scheduled completion of his or her tour of duty. If such a medical discharge were given prior to completion of 3 years active duty a noncitizen veteran would be denied qualIfication for naturalization because of a disability or injury that has incurred while in our Nations service. Similarly. the Immigration and Naturalization Service has the authority to deny entry to our country on the basis of health or disability. This authority is based on the sound principle that entry into the United States is solely at our discretion and that. as a nation. we should not place ourselves in a position of having to care for or support the worlds ill or disabled. However. applied on a blanket basis. this principle would also apply to noncitizen veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces with serviceconnected disabilities which were incurred while in our service. I believe that barring entry into the United States in such circumstances is not consistent with the principles which guide this great Nation.