Speech #1100050496

That undermines the merit system in many ways. so there are a lot of subtleties here. Now. when Senator KENNEDY and the others had their press conference to announce the grand compromise. Senator KENNEDY or his staff. about that time. indicated only 30 percent of the people would come into our country based on merit and that. not to worry. we were still going to be. as one of his staffers said. a familybased system. a chain migration system. not a meritbased system. As we look at the numbers. I am afraid Senator KENNEDY is more correct than I wish were so. There is another principle: the illegal alien population program. the Z visas. These are the people who are here illegally. The White House PowerPoint described how the proposal would give legal status to illegal aliens currently in the United States through new Z visas. but would provide them with "no special path to citizenship." The Z visa sounded better to me than the plan last year. which was very bad and should never have become law. Specifically. the PowerPoint told us the Z visa holder would be able to apply for green cards. but "only through regular programs." through "pointbased merit selection." According to the PowerPoint. Z visa holders would be "ineligible for adjustment of status from the U.S. . . . Heads of household would need to return to their home country and follow the normal channel" to be admitted into the country on a permanent basis. Well. does the new bill we have been presented with Saturday morning at 2 a.m. fulfill principle No. 4? Will the current illegal alien population be treated compassionately but not given a special path to citizenship. as they promised? The answer. 1 am afraid. and I am sad to say. is no. The new bill clearly creates a system whereby current illegal aliens are treated differently than those who try to come to the United States lawfully. It may not be "jackpot" amnesty. but it is some form of amnesty. My definition has been: Those who broke the law to come here should not receive every benefit this Nation has to offer. like those who come lawfully. namely. citizenship and certain economic benefits.