Speaker. last August 7. as everyone will recall. our Nation was shaken by the news that our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed and hundreds of natives and American diplomats as well were killed. As tragic as that is. and it still has tragic consequences in leftover items that will haunt us for years to come. there was another unintended but serious consequence of those bombings. That is. there were many people filing into those embassies prior to this bombing who were making application for diversity visas to which they might have been entitled. Now. with the extinction of these embassies. these people. who might have a right to come to the United States to exercise their skills. were denied that privilege of applying for this diversity visa. What has happened is they may lose that chance forever. unless we pass this piece of legislation. because what this does is in effect put a hold on the deadlines that would have ordinarily applied to these applicants for diversity visas. thus. allowing the system to move ahead into 1999. without allowing it to come to an end by the process that would have come to an end this year. but for the bombings of the embassies in those countries. We urge the passage of this legislation as one that is absolutely necessary. This would not guarantee. by the way. that those applying would automatically be granted the visa. but we do not want to rob them of the opportunity to file an application to receive such a visa. That is the purpose of the bill. and what it does is make up for lost time by reason of the destruction of the embassies. Mr.
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visa visas