[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 121 (Friday, September 12, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9252-S9253]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DURBIN:
  S. 1172. A bill for the relief of Sylvester Flis; to the Committee on 
the Judiciary.


                       PRIVATE RELIEF LEGISLATION

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise today to offer legislation on 
behalf of Mr. Sylvester Flis, a permanent resident alien from Poland, 
now living in Chicago. This bill would grant immediate citizenship to 
Sylvester by waiving the mandatory 5-year waiting period required of 
all permanent residents wishing to become U.S. citizens. Out of great 
respect for what U.S. citizenship stands for and the privileges it 
bestows, the Senate has rarely granted this kind of request, and only 
in cases that it deems to be uniquely compelling. After hearing 
Sylvester's story, I am confident my colleagues will agree with me that 
this request fulfills this high standard and is therefore deserving of 
their support.
  Sylvester entered this country as a permanent resident in July 1994 
after learning that his grandmother, by virtue of having been born in 
New Haven, CT and being a U.S. citizen, could sponsor her family to be 
in the United States. He now lives in Chicago with his parents, Czeslaw 
and Lucja, his sister, Anna, and brother, Ireneusz.
  Like many young Eastern Europeans who grew up during the final years 
of Soviet domination, Sylvester, now 23 years of age, is eager to take 
advantage of the opportunities offered by his new found freedom. He 
currently takes English classes and is working toward his GED, general 
equivalency diploma. Sylvester works for his uncle's carpentry business 
and hopes to eventually find a job in electronics, which is what he 
studied as a student in Poland. Like the millions of immigrants who 
have preceded him, Sylvester has left behind the security of friends 
and familiar surroundings to come to the United States to share his 
talents and make our Nation a stronger one.
  Two things, however, make Sylvester very different from most 
immigrants. First, he suffers from a disease known as spina bifida. 
Spina bifida is the failure of the spine to close during the first 
month of pregnancy. This results in varying degrees of paralysis, loss 
of sensation in the lower limbs, difficulty with bowel and bladder 
management, and learning disabilities. As a result of his condition, 
Sylvester is confined to a wheelchair.
  The second thing that distinguishes Sylvester from most immigrants is 
that he is a world class athlete. Despite his condition, Sylvester has 
developed into one of the top sled hockey players in the country. I 
imagine most of you are unfamiliar with sled hockey, as was I until I 
became familiar with Sylvester's story. Sled hockey is a variation of 
regular hockey that is played by disabled individuals on a regulation 
rink. Sled hockey has all the same rules as regular hockey except that 
players use sleds, rather than ice skates, to maneuver around the ice.
  Last Spring, Sylvester competed with the United States National Team 
in international sled hockey competitions in Sweden and the United 
Kingdom. He hopes to compete with the United States in the 1998 
Paralympics in Nagano, Japan next March. The Paralympics are an 
international athletic competition for individuals with mobility 
disabilities held every 4 years. They begin soon after the completion 
of the regular Olympic Games and are held in the same city and country 
as the Olympics. Sylvester is considered a lock to make next year's 
team.
  To make that dream a reality, however, Sylvester needs to be a U.S. 
citizen by the end of this coming January, which is when the final team 
will be selected. While the International Olympic Committee allows 
Paralympians to represent countries with which they have permanent 
residency, the U.S. Olympic Committee [USOC] has very strict rules 
which require citizenship for all U.S. competitors. Sylvester was 
eligible to participate with the United States team in Europe last 
Spring because those competitions were not sponsored by the USOC. By 
granting Sylvester citizenship and waiving the mandatory 5-year-waiting 
period, he will be eligible to compete for the United States in Japan. 
Without a waiver, Sylvester would become a citizen in July 1999, which 
would be too late for the 1998 games. Poland will not be competing in 
sled hockey at these games, making the United States team Sylvester's 
only chance to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime event.
  As I mentioned at the outset, Sylvester is more than just a good 
athlete who wants to compete for the United States. He is a young man 
of tremendous character who has worked hard to become part of our 
community. I've spoken to several people who have worked with Sylvester 
and they all attest to his work ethic, his character, and his 
enthusiasm for helping others. This spirit is best demonstrated by the 
active role he has played in the Chicago community to help other 
disabled individuals overcome the obstacles they face in their daily 
lives. His volunteer activities include teaching sled hockey at the 
Chicago Park District to disabled and nondisabled individuals. He also 
volunteers with Wheelchair Dance Chicago, an organization that, as the 
name suggests, helps disabled individuals learn to dance. Through his

[[Page S9253]]

association with the Spina Bifida Association, Sylvester has provided a 
positive role model to those with disabilities who wish to excel.
  Being disabled can be hard. It's even harder when you live in an 
unfamiliar country where you have to learn a new language. Sylvester 
has overcome these obstacles to not only build a new life with his 
family in the United States, but to become an accomplished athlete and 
a valuable part of his community. He is a true American success story. 
The waiving of the mandatory waiting period for Sylvester would grant 
citizenship to a young man who has much to offer our country, both 
inside the rink and out.
  Mr. President, I ask that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1172

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. GRANT OF NATURALIZATION TO SYLVESTER FLIS.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, Sylvester Flis shall be naturalized as a citizen of the 
     United States upon the filing of the appropriate application 
     and upon being administered the oath of renunciation and 
     allegiance in an appropriate ceremony pursuant to section 337 
     of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
       (b) Deadline for Application and Payment of Fees.--
     Subsection (a) shall apply only if the application for 
     naturalization is filed with appropriate fees within 1 year 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act.
                                 ______