Speech #1010043928

I would like to see this addition added to it. I am sure that the Senator from Wyoming would want to talk a little bit about it. In recent years. we in Congress have strived to resolve the related problems of unrestrained illegal immigration and of unbalanced and discriminatory legal immigration. That is really what we are trying to do here. None of us are perfect and none of us have all the answers. but I think the bill that the Senator from Pennsylvania has offered is a constructive one. Although I opposed Senator SIMPsoNs immigration reform and control act which aimed at controlling illegal immigration into this country. I do believe that it ought to be given a fair chance to operate. It is appropriate that we now turn our attention to the related problem of legal immigration into the United States. That is what we have before us today. The KennedySimpson bill purports to put a ceiling on legal immigration into the United States. It is important to realize. however. as we discuss amendments which. for various reasons. attempt to raise this socalled cap or ceiling. And we talked about that at some length today that there really is no ceiling. Legal immediate family relatives are permitted with no limitation whatsoever. Because there are no limits. either in current law or in S. 358. on the available number of visas for Immediate relatives. there is really no absolute cap on legal immigration into the country. So we are not talking about a cap from the fact of how many we are going to permit in. I think that it is important to remember then that we are talking about exceeding a ceiling that does not exist.