Speech #1010042202

Fifth. Mr. President. it increases businesssponsored visas and separates the current third and sixth preference for professional and skilled workers sought by U.S. employers. and this. I believe. is an important addition. We are considering. particularly in the sixth preference. giving a higher preference for those with skills needed in the United States. Sixth. it creates a new point system for 54.000 new immigrants. along the lines of the CanadianAustralian system. for those with skills. experience. and education needed to immediately contribute to our Nations economy. eliminating individual labor certification. but recognizing the national labor market conditions and needs. Finally. Mr. President. to answer the question of many. this is what our bill does not do: It does not cut family reunification. since additional numbers are provided to the family category. doubling the visas available for spouses and children of permanent residents. the second preference. and maintaining without change the numbers for brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens. the fifth preference. We will hear over the course of the debate whether we should have provided a faster track for those younger brothers or sisters who had not married. to give some advantage to younger children to be reunified with their family. That was an issue that was considered by the Select Commission a number of years ago.