Congressional Record Reprint, Remarks of Senator Hubert Humphrey

(Not printed at Government expense) Congressional Record United States PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 82d CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION of America Humphrey-Lehman Bill Would Humanize Immigration Thirteen Senators Join in Proposal To personal dedication and energies helped abilities and energies of these people would Admit Refugees and Others Within carry this bill through all of its de- represent a vital contribution to our na- velopmental stages. I request therefore tional economy and welfare. Flexible Quota System-Racial, that this bill be called the Humphrey- This bill would reunite divided families, Lehman bill. some members of which are already in the Sex Bars Eliminated; Civil United States as citizens of permanently I ask unanimous consent that there be Liberties Guarded resident aliens. printed in the RECORD at this point a Under the terms of this bill, all the above joint statement on the bill issued by my would be done within the quota framework. "Immigration and Nationality Act colleagues and me and the summary of We would admit aliens in numbers which of 1952" the provisions of our new omnibus Im- we could easily absorb and actually require migration and Nationality Act of 1952. for our expanding economy. All this would The VICE PRESIDENT. The bill be done in accordance with a carefully de- REMARKS signed system of checking and screening to will be received and appropriately re- insure the selection of deserving and desir- OF ferred; and, without objection, the joint able aliens and the rejection of subversive HON. HUBERT H. HUMPHREY statement and summary will be printed and undesirable aliens. in the RECORD. At the same time this bill would eliminate OF NEW YORK The bill (S. 2842) to revise the laws from present law the damning and damag- IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES relating to immigration, naturalization, ing stigma of racial discrimination, and dis- Wednesday, March 12, 1952 and nationality; and for other purposes, criminations based on sex. introduced by Mr. HUMPHREY (for him- Another purpose of this bill is to couple Mr. HUMPHREY. Mr. President, on self and other Senators), was read twice justice with humanitarianism as the twin behalf of myself, the Senator from New symbols of America in immigration as well by its title, and referred to the Com- York [Mr. LEHMAN], the junior Senator as in other fields. We urgently need more mittee on the Judiciary. from Connecticut [Mr. BENTON], the equitable and more uniform procedures in Senator from North Dakota [Mr. LAN- The joint statement and summary are the administration of our immigration laws. as follows: Peoples abroad know America best, and at GER], the Senator from West Virginia closest hand, from their experience, or that [Mr. KILGORE], the Senator from Illi- JOINT STATEMENT BY SPONSORS OF NEW OM- of their neighbors, with our immigration nois [Mr. DOUGLAS], the senior Senator NIBUS IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION officials. Unchecked bureaucracy is too from Connecticut [Mr. McMAHON], the BILL-SENATORS HUMPHREY, LEHMAN, BEN- much a feature of our present immigration TON, LANGER, KILGORE, DOUGLAS, McMaHON, senior Senator from Rhode Island [Mr. laws. Under the terms of our bill, a board GREEN, PASTORE, MURRAY, KEFAUVER, MORSE, GREEN], the junior Senator from Rhode of visa review is set up, within the State AND MOODY Island [Mr. PASTORE], the Senator from Department, to provide greater uniformity We are today introducing an omnibus in the granting and refusal of visas, and to Michigan [Mr. MOODY], the Senator immigration and naturalization bill which provide a practical review and appeals pro- from Montana [Mr. MURRAY], the Sen- codifies, simplifies, and humanizes our immi- cedure. ator from Tennessee [Mr. KEFAUVER], gration and naturalization laws. Under another section of our bill, the and the Senator from Oregon [Mr. This bill strengthens our legal defenses present Board of Immigration Appeals, now MORSE], I introduce for appropriate against the admission of subversive and un- set up by Executive order, is given perma- reference a bill entitled, "The Immigra- desirable aliens, and facilitates the deporta- nent and statutory authority to carry on tion and Nationality Act of 1952." tion of those already in this country. the fine work it has been doing. Under the It is an omnibus immigration and At the same time, this bill permits the terms of our bill, the Administrative Pro- processing and admission, within the frame- naturalization bill, recodifying present cedures Act, providing court review of ad- work of our present quota system, of in- ministrative decisions, is made applicable to immigration and naturalization law, and creased numbers of deserving and desirable deportation processes. making a number of changes in the pres- aliens who can bring to America the invig- These are the main purposes and designs ent law designed to meet the present orating stream of fresh talent, fervor, and of our proposed omnibus immigration and world situation, and to introduce needed energy which has, in the past, contributed naturalization bill. elements of realism, justice, and hu- so much to America's greatness. We are aware that another omnibus im- manitarianism in our immigration laws. This bill would enable us to meet the The bill is the result of almost a year emergency world situation by providing a migration and naturalization bill, which haven for religious and political persecutees evolved from measures sponsored by Senator of work on the part of its senatorial from eastern, southern, central, and northern MCCARRAN, has been reported by the Judi- sponsors and the many others associ- European countries behind the iron curtain. ciary Committee as S. 2550, and is now pend- ated with us in this project. It is an It would open our doors to limited numbers ing on the Senate Calendar. adaptation to an omnibus framework of of otherwise qualified aliens from the teem- We feel that our bill, rather than S. 2550, S. 2343, the so-called Lehman bill, of ing and overcrowded cities and villages of is the answer to our present needs in the Italy, Greece, Holland, Germany and Aus- immigration field. S. 2550 codifies existing which I was coauthor and cosponsor. tria-areas where surplus populations, in- immigration and naturalization laws and A large number of groups and organi- digenous and refugee, now strain the politi- purports to correct some existing inequities, zations have worked with the sponsors cal stability and internal economy of the such as racial and sex discrimination. But, of this bill. It is indeed a collaborative countries involved. in actual effect, S. 2550 perpetuates and ex- product. I want to pay particular This bill would recruit aliens of special tends most present inequities, including the tribute to the efforts of the distinguished skills and capabilities, in agriculture, in in- principle of discrimination, and in scores junior Senator from New York, whose dustry, in the professions and the arts. The of different ways, some of them subtle and 996077-42529 HARRY S. NARA LIBRARY