[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 7, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E3]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    REDUCE LEGAL IMMIGRATION LEVELS

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                             HON. BOB STUMP

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 7, 1997

  Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, a reduction in immigration is essential to 
improving the country's economy and social weaknesses. With this in 
mind, I am today introducing legislation to cut the number of legal 
immigrants who enter our country each year.
  Once again, I am sponsoring the Immigration Moratorium Act. The 
legislation provides for a significant, but temporary, reduction in 
legal immigration levels. Under my bill, immigration would be limited 
to the spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens, a reduced number of 
refugees and employment-based immigrants, and a limited number of 
immigrants who are currently waiting in the immigration backlog. Total 
immigration under my proposed moratorium would be less than 300,000 per 
year. The moratorium would end after approximately 5 years, provided no 
adverse impact would result from an immigration increase.
  A temporary moratorium is a sound response to our present situation 
that allows for unprecedented and unmanageable levels of immigrants. 
Currently, the United States admits about 1 million legal immigrants 
annually, more than any other industrialized nation in the world. Based 
upon recent trends, this number will continue to climb unless we take 
the necessary steps to restore immigration to reasonable levels. I am 
extremely troubled by the fact that study after study has shown that 
the excessive immigration we are experiencing exacerbates many of the 
country's most disturbing problems, such as overcrowded jails, 
inadequately funded schools and hospitals, violent crime and 
unemployment. Moreover, legal immigration is costly and has a 
significant impact on our ability to balance the budget. For example, 
the projected net cost to taxpayers of legal immigration will be $330 
billion over the next 10 years.
  Mr. speaker, Americans have repeatedly voiced their concerns about 
the potentially grave consequences associated with unrestrained 
immigration. A recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll showed 52 
percent support a 5-year moratorium on legal immigration. A Roper poll 
shows the majority of Americans prefer no more than 100,000 annually. A 
host of additional polls consistently show a similar sentiment. We 
would be negligent in our roles as Federal legislators to ignore such 
compelling public demand for change.
  Last Congress, we enacted legislation that addressed some of the 
country's most pressing illegal immigration problems. Unfortunately, an 
attempt to improve our legal immigration policies was thwarted. The 
105th Congress should not repeat last year's mistake. We should, 
instead, finish the immigration reform job by evaluating America's 
immigration needs and devising a policy that will allow us to meet 
these needs without further burdening American taxpayers.

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