Speech #1010249401

Mr. Speaker. section 601 of the conference bill reforms our outmoded system of immigration exclusions. It would modernize the health grounds of exclusion which have at times led to embarrassing incidents at U.S. ports of entry. The health exclusions language has been provided by the Department of Health and Human Services. and approval of it has been received by the Department of Justice. The bill removes some of the antiquated and unused exclusions that have been in our law since the early 1900s. such as the exclusions based on illiteracy. and the exclusions for aliens who are "paupers. professional beggars. or vagrants." These relics have been replaced by one generic standard which exclude aliens who are "likely to become a public charge." There is also a new exclusion based on foreign policy grounds which is modeled after the current section 901 statute. It would allow the Secretary of State to exclude persons who would have a "serious adverse foreign policy effect" on the United States. but it contains some important first amendment exceptions. The first exception would not allow the exclusion of a foreign government official "solely because of the persons beliefs. statements. or associations 0 0 * .1 The second exception would not allow the exclusion of any other alien because of that aliens beliefs. statements. or associations "unless the Secretary of State personally determines that the aliens admission would compromise a compelling United States foreign policy interest." The bill would also expand the current waiver available to permanent immigrants who are members of the Communist Party. This new waiver for Communist Party members will become increasingly important as Eastern Europeans begin to immigrate to the United States. However. we would retain the authority to exclude former Eastern European Communists if they continue to pose a security threat to the United States. We are simply diluting the current presumption that former Communist Party membership in a country that is no longer Communist dominated implies that a person is a security threat.