[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 117 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9482-S9483]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           IMMIGRATION REFORM

  Mr. SPECTER. Madam President, I have sought recognition to discuss 
briefly one of the aspects of the immigration conference report which 
will come before the Senate either today or shortly after we return 
from recess. I think that it is very important that we reform our laws 
to provide increased resources to protect our borders and combat 
illegal immigration.
  Nevertheless, I have been very much concerned about a number of 
provisions of the immigration bill. The provision which concerns me the 
most is the so-called Gallegly amendment, which would give the States 
the option to limit education opportunities to children of illegal 
immigrants. In my opinion, it is unthinkable in America to deny 
education to any children, regardless of their status, whether their 
parents are illegal immigrants.
  That is something I feel particularly strongly about because both of 
my parents were immigrants. My mother came to this country as a child 
of 5 with her parents from a small town on the Russian-Polish border. 
My father came from Ukraine Russia, literally walked across Europe with 
barely a ruble in his pocket, sailed steerage--the bottom of the boat--
to come to America to make a better life for himself. He did not know 
at the time he had a return trip ticket to France, not to Paris but to 
the Argonne Forest, where he fought in World War I as a buck private, 
to make the world safe

[[Page S9483]]

for democracy, and carried shrapnel in his legs until the day he died.
  My parents had legal status as immigrants, but sometimes that is a 
hard thing to determine. I do not think any child ought to be deprived 
of educational opportunities because of the status of his parents, even 
if they are illegal immigrants.
  I have been strongly opposed to the Gallegly amendment. I have agreed 
to sign the conference report, however, because of a significant change 
which I have insisted upon. That change is that, in addition to some 
other modifications which have already been made for a child in the 
first grade to complete the sixth grade and a child in the seventh 
grade to complete the 12th grade, the modifications I pressed to have 
included, and I think have been included by agreement, would provide 
for a comprehensive study to be conducted by GAO, the General 
Accounting Office, at the end of 2\1/2\ years, which would determine 
what impact the Gallegly amendment had on the children who were 
excluded from education, what impact it had with respect to juvenile 
delinquency, the crime rate, what impact it had on their educational 
status, what impact it had on their family status, and what impact it 
had on reducing illegal immigration. Following release of the study 
there will be a mandatory vote on repeal of the Gallegly provision in 
the Congress, both Houses, within a very short period of time, whatever 
the results of the GAO report may have been.
  If the Gallegly amendment was not repealed on that vote, then there 
will be a similar study after 5 years, and then another mandated 
automatic vote on the repeal of the Gallegly provision by the Congress.
  It is my judgment, Madam President, that if the Gallegly amendment is 
subjected to a vote at 2\1/2\ or 5 years, it would be repealed by the 
Congress and signed by whomever might be the President. Whether it is 
President Clinton or Senator Dole, the then President would sign it. I 
think if the Gallegly amendment were standing alone now, it would be 
rejected by the Congress.
  I do not think that the entire immigration conference report ought to 
be rejected because of this single provision, considering the 
modification that I have presented, which, as I say, I think is being 
accepted and will be in the conference report. I wanted to make that 
brief explanation.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. DASCHLE addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader is recognized.

                          ____________________