Speech #1010043846

Go look and see those who did. So now the amendment I am proposing would restore the English language ability to the point system only. That will be used to select only 9 percent of the total immigrants this bill. S. 358. would admit. S. 358 already expands the number of independent immigrants who would enter the United States either because of a job offer of a U.S. employer or because they possess certan skills and qualities that would serve our country well: the national interest. we call that. The skills that would have been recognized in S. 358 as originally introducedthis is the way this bill passed the Senate last time and the way it was originally introduced this time before we made the Simon adjustments. This is only for 55.000 visas out of 600.000. having to do with these qualifications in the point system: age. education. English language skills. occupational skills in short supply in the United States. and additional experience and training in a needed occupation. We think those are important parts of a point system. An amendment at committee deleted the English language ability from that list of skills and I voted against that amendment. What we find. and nearly every study indicates. is that immigrants with English language skills contribute to themselves and to the labor market more effectively and more immediately. It is to their benefit and best interest. The Department of Labors report "Work Force 2000" which has been quoted from time to time predicted that any labor shortages in the next decades will come in the skilled occupations where English ability. education. and computational skills will be essential and paramount. The point system attempts to address this prospect by granting these 55.000 visas to persons with the skills and the qualities that our Nation is likely to be in absolute dire need of in the coming years. What the body has chosen to do in the last day and a half is to add more numbers of those who bring no discernible skills. Certainly they will bring inherent skills. they will bring remarkable diversity. That is great. But what we were trying to do and have tried to do throughout is to increase this diversity of the classic Immigrant. that is the socalled immigrant that we think of these past days. and the independent categories and skill or bringing certain traits to the United States. I want to say this: I do not in any way believe that English language ability should be the sole or controlling factor when admitting independent point system immigrants. In no way do I say that. But I think it is a very important variable in determining immigrant success and performance. and it should be considered along with these other factors when choosing independent immigrants only under the point system. I emphasize again that under the bill. 91and I hope again that this will be something my colleagues might hear91 percent of all immigrants under this bill would not benefit from knowing English or suffer from not knowing English. It makes no difference in the other 9 percent of the persons admitted under this bill. Thus. family immigrants and business immigrants would not be included in the class of immigrants for who this English language ability is recognized. They were not even in this equation. However. for these 55.000 persons under this limited point system who will enter. and they will come in without any family tiesno family ties- or have a job waiting for them.