Speech #1030086957

U.S. Bureau of Census presented a startling report in which they projected that the population of the United States would grow to almost 400 million by the year 2050. Fully 87 percent of the population increase between 1990 and 2050 would be the result of post1970 immigrants. And this would represent a 50percent Increase in less than 60 years. Put another way. the United States is on track to add the equivalent of the current population of Japan within the lifetimes of our children. Perhaps more startling than the sheer numbers is the overwhelming role immigration plays in this burgeoning increase. Since 1970. when the Nation pledged to clean up and protect its natural resources. the population has risen another 50 million. adding their impact to infrastructures and environment of this country. More than half of the additional people are immigrants and their descendents. The portrait projected for the period from 1990 to 2050 is even more striking. New immigrants and descendants of all post1970 immigrants will account for 114 million of the 132 million additional Americans trying to squeeze quality of life in the countrys dwindling resources. That is right. Immigrants. their children and grandchildren will contribute to 87 percent of this massive population growth. Because of this extraordinary immigration. U.S. population growth today is exceeded only by some halfdozen Third World nations. Madam President. there has been a tremendous move during the last 30odd years to limit the number of children that American families have. You know the zero population growth and other movements. I often wondered when this movement was really successful. the number of children Americans are having is quite low. why we have this big booming population? My study of the problems of immigration indicates the reason. One other note about the 1992 census report. They based their projection of some 383 million people in 2050 on net immigration levels of 880.000 a year over that period. That is far too small. Given the rapid expansion of familybased immigration and our lack of commitment to controlling illegal immigrationI only talked today about legal immigration. What about illegal immigration? But given our lack of commitment of controlling legal immigration. we are likely to see net immigration levels that are considerable higher than 880.000 a year. meaning that the U.S. population might actually grow much faster than what the Census Bureau has projected. Madam President. very few Americans believe that population growth of that magnitude is in the national interest. Very few Americans want to leave their children a legacy of overpopulation. more congestion. greater environmental degradation. and a society straining to cope with the burden of absorbing endless millions of newcomers. I congratulate the author of this amendment. the junior Senator from the State of Vermont. I think his vision recognizing we need to do more with education Is significant. and I publicly congratulate and applaud his effort in this regard. But I also say to the sponsor of this amendment and all the cosponsors that they should take a look at this Immigration pro. Jm we have and look at my legislation. In short. Madam President. the American people believe that immigration levels need to be scaled back to more manageable levels that will take us off the destructive course this population growth is taking us. Senate bill 1351. the legislation I have introduced. would set a firm ceiling of 300.000 in all forms of migration to the United States. This is the standard historic levels that we have had in this country for 100 years.