Speech #1020164427

President. we have had one thousand days to adjust to the past injustice of Tiananmen Square. However. we have only half that time to avoid further injustice to those longing for democracy. On January 1 of 1994. the Executive order that protected the deportation of Chinese nationals expires. and unless this Senate acts now. those covered by the Executive order lose not only their hopes and dreams of United States residency. we jeopardize their very lives. That is why I introduced S. 1216. the Chinese Student Protection Act. The measure intends to release the Chinese nationals covered by the 1989 Executive order from their current immigration limbo and provide them the option of applying for permanent residency here in the United States. Since introduction of this bill. several changes have been added to address concerns of both Chinese students and United States Immigration officials. Those changes include a provision to require those covered by the legislation to have been continuously residing in the United States since the Tiananmen massacre other than for brief. casual. and innocent absences. In addition. those covered could not have visited China over a period for more than 90 days. A second change involves a provision to count those persons receiving permanent residency under new worldwide immigration levels as established by the Immigration Act of 1990. Additional provisions also address the need to count them under Chinas per country ceiling without adversely affecting ongoing immigration from China. A third change applies standard immigration law exclusions to those covered by the Executive order. Those may include criminals. Communist party members. and those likely to become a public charge. Finally. the individuals covered by the Executive order will be permitted to apply immediately for permanent residency rather than wait 18 months under temporary residency as proposed under the original legislation. These changes represent long. difficult hours of thoughtful debate to accommodate the safety concerns of Chinese students and legitimate United States immigration policy goals. Meanwhile. the thousands covered by the Executive order have waited patiently for action by the Congress. This bill responds to their desperate plea for a future in the United States of America that can now be answered by full Senate support of this measure.