Mr. Chairman. the amendment I offer today is very simple and I believe it should be supported by anyone who believes that the Federal Government should do all it can to encourage immigrants to our Nation to become citizens. Mr. Chairman. my amendment is about using Federal dollars efficiently. It is about providing desperately needed community outreach and resources to people who want to become U.S. citizens. and it is about making an important statement that this Government wants to take every action it possibly can to encourage U.S. citizenship. My amendment earmarks $4 million in funding to allow appropriate community groups to work with the Immigration and Naturalization Service to promote the opportunities and responsibilities of United States citizenship. Mr. Chairman. let me tell my colleagues how this program works. In my city of Chicago. our regional INS office cannot possibly keep up with the volume of people who desire to become citizens of our great Nation. To help try to provide the basic and vital service of naturalizing qualified individuals. the office has empowered community groups to prepare citizenship applications. All across my city respected and effective community organizations have been approved by the INS office to sponsor and promote citizenship workshops. After these workshops. volunteers help eligible applicants complete their application forms. take the photos and the fingerprints as required by law.
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naturalizing Naturalization immigrants Immigration