Speech #1090137415

I yield myself 10 minutes. Mr. President. the diversity program is a small but vital part of our immigration system. and I urge my colleagues to preserve the program by voting against the Gregg amendment. This amendment would all but destroy the diversity visa program. which has served our country well and continues to do so. Yet it would have no meaningful effect on skillbased immigration. which is already favored by our Immigration laws and is already being addressed elsewhere in the bill. That is why civil rights groups and ethnic groups are united with business groups in opposition to this amendment. I understand the thinking behind the Gregg amendment. and there are a few people in the Chamber who have been more consistent supporters of highskilled immigration than have I. I continue to support highskilled migration. and the original McCainKennedy bill doubled the numerical limits on highskilled. employmentbased migration. I also supported additional changes in the Judiciary Committee to increase HlB visa limits and to make it easier for H1B immigrants to adjust to permanent status. But the diversity visa program serves a wholly different purpose. The purpose of the diversity visa is not just to advance narrow economic interests but. rather. to preserve our very heritage as a nation of immigrants. a true melting pot. Unlike other visa categories. the diversity visa is not about whom you know or to whom you are related. It is a totally unique program because anyone with a high school diploma or 2 years of meaningful work experience can apply. Without the diversity visa program. our family- and employmentbased immigration system would ensure that virtually all immigrants to the United States would come from just a small handful of countries. The diversity program ensures that America continues to be a beacon to the entire world and not just to a dozen or so countries with high numbers of immigrants already living here. This chart here behind me shows. right here on the left. that of the groups coming in now. 36.8 percent are Asian. 46 percent are Latin American. that is 85 percent coming from the Caribbean countries or from Asia. We have 10 percent from Europe. 3 percent from Canada.