President. the Senator from North Carolina says he wants greater attention to skills. We have provided greater priority to skills in the third and sixth preference as well as the new independent category. We have not gone all the way that the Senator from North Carolina might like to go with his amendment. although we feel we have addressed that issuea balance between family reunificiation and new skills. a lot more attention on new skills. but we also retain the historic priority that this Nation has placed on immigration policy and that is in the reunificiation of families. We have had diversity in our committee about how that best can be done. Should preference be given to small children or should we consider the extended family. the larger family. We have debated and discussed that matter. and we find. Mr. President. or at least I am convinced that those individuals who are going to be most impacted by immigration policy strongly support the concept that is built into the fifth preference. I think that is a matter open to debate and discussion. But we have made a cut on that.
Keywords matched
immigration family reunificiation