Speech #1020121578

I wish to join my friend. Senator KENNEDY. the chairman of the Immigration and Refugee Affairs Subcommittee. in offering this substitute amendment. The immigrationrelated amendments we offer today make a number of minor and technical changes to the Immigration Act of 1990. adjust the 1990 reforms in our naturalization procedures and address problems related to the 0 and P entertainer visa provisions. These amendments are the product of separate Senate and House legislation and contain provisions that have been cleared by the subcommittees on each side and have the support of the parties most affected. The Immigration Subcommittee in the Senate is the smallest subcommittee so it is easy to discern the intentions of the Senate sponsors. In addition to the points raised by Senator KENNEDY. I wish to especially reiterate my strong support for the naturalization provisions and the 0 and P visa adjustments. The naturalization amendments revise current law to address valid concerns that have been expressed by members of the judiciary in Illinois and around the Nation. These amendments are also cognizant of the great necessity to eliminate all unnecessary barriers to naturalization. These amendments ensure that naturalization ceremonies can take place in Federal district courts which can best provide the proper decorum and seriousness of purpose as we welcome newcomers. as citizens. to the American family. At the same time. in enacting this legislation we are mindful of the backlogs that do take place in the naturalization process. No extraordinary delays should be caused by this legislation. In those areas of the country that cannot readily schedule naturalization ceremonies at the district court. a prospective citizen should not be forced to wait. This legislation provides that flexibility. This package of amendments also addresses another potential barrier to naturalization. Between December 1989 and April 1991. the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS] raised naturalization fees from $50 to $160 and revenues exceeded expenses related to the naturalization process. Following action taken by Congress in the Immigration Act of 1990. the INS partially reduced fees to $90. The confusion around the amount of fees assessed for naturalization prompted various House Members to request the General Accounting Office [GAO] to conduct a study on the INS fee structure. GAO has not yet conducted this study and it is not expected that the report will be complete until some time next year. In the meantime. there is substantial concern that fees may be raised once again. I am pleased. therefore. that the naturalization amendments require the Attorney General to consult with the Judiciary Committees of the House and Senate prior to raising naturalization fees and to report to Congress where the fees fit into its overall budget. A tremendous amount of work has gone into the 0 and P provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. These provisions repeal the previous 25.000 visa annual cap for P1 and P3 nonimmigrants that was established by the 1990 Immigration Act. They also require the General Accounting Office to report to Congress by the end of fiscal year 1993 on the use of 0 and P visas by artists. entertainers. and athletes to determine how many visas are actually used. The report will enable Congress to better evaluate the impact these visas have on entertainer employment and earnings among American workers. The report will also provide information on the policies of other countries regarding Americans who seek this work abroad. Another important change contained in these provisions relate to the peer group consultation requirement of section 207 of the Immigration Act of 1990. These provisions clarify that if there is a collectivebarkaining representative of an employers employees in the occupational classification for which the alien is being sought. that representative shall be the appropriate labor organization for purposes of the peer group consultation requirement. These provisions give the peer group 15 days in which to file its response or "no objection" letter.