Speech #1040272397

This draconian. classbased proposal would have caused unfair hardship for working American families. and was rightly rejected as part of this bipartisan agreement. In addition. this agreement contains three other worthwhile improvements. It provides assistance to immigrants who are victims of domestic violence. It continues assistance under the Ryan White Act for immigrants with HIV infection or battling AIDS. It allows nonprofit organizations. such as Catholic Charities. church social service programs. or communitybased organizations to continue to assist communities with Government funds. without having to check the citizenship and green cards of everyone who walks in their doors. Rather than making harsh welfare reforms even harsher for legal immigrants. this bipartisan agreement provides modest but needed improvements over those reforms for battered immigrants and for charities and other nonprofit organizations that are a lifeline to immigrant communities. As President Kennedy wrote in his book. "A Nation of Immigrants": Immigration policy should be generous. it should be fair. it should be flexible. With such a policy we can turn to the world. and to our own past. with clean hands and a clear conscience. Such a policy would be but a reaffirmation of old principles. It would be an expression of our agreement with George Washington that "The bosom of America is open to receive not only the opulent and respectable stranger. but the oppressed and persecuted of all nations and religions. whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and privileges. if by decency and propriety of conduct they appear to merit the enjoyment." This bipartisan agreement is largely consistent with that goal. It takes a number of worthwhile steps to deal with the problems of illegal immigration. although much more significant steps could have been taken and should have been taken to deal with this serious problem. Equally important. this bill keeps the Nations doors open. with reasonable limitation. for those who come here as legal immigrants and contribute to a stronger and better America. as they have done throughout the two centuries of our history. I commend all of those who have helped to develop this proposal and have it included in the underlying document. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.