[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 17, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9515-S9516]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

       By Mr. HATCH (for himself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Abraham, Mr. 
     Leahy, Mr. DeWine and Mr. Biden):
  S. 1184. A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to waive 
nonimmigrant visa fees for aliens seeking to enter the United States to 
engage in certain charitable activities; to the Committee on the 
Judiciary.


                THE MOTHER TERESA FEE WAIVER ACT OF 1997

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President. I am proud today to introduce--along with 
my colleagues Senators Kennedy, Abraham, Leahy, and DeWine--the Mother 
Teresa fee waiver bill of 1997.

  While daily newscasts focus our attention on the scourge of senseless 
crime and deadly drugs in our country and around the world, Mother 
Teresa's death last week focused the world's attention on the simple 
good works that are all too often overlooked.
  As the flag of India was draped over Mother Teresa, an observer 
commented ``She now belongs to the State.'' I think it is more accurate 
to say that Mother Teresa has and will always belong to the world. In 
an era where the phrase ``global economy'' has become commonplace, 
Mother Teresa represented a ``global morality.'' Her good works, and 
those of so many other religious organizations around the world are 
not, and should not be, confined by national borders and boundaries.
  Shortly before her death, Mother Teresa personally sought a waiver of 
the fees charged to her missionaries seeking to enter this country on a 
temporary basis to help the poorest of the poor and the sickest of the 
sick in our own cities. Of course, she was absolutely right. We should 
give thanks to these kind and giving persons who travel to foreign 
lands for no other purpose than to give of themselves to help the 
neediest in those lands. Instead, we've been charging them. It is an 
absurd situation that needs to be remedied.
  I am, therefore, pleased today to stand with my colleagues in 
introducing a simple and straightforward bill that would waive the fees 
for persons coming here temporarily for the purpose of engaging in 
charitable activities to help the needy. This bill is but one small but 
fitting and timely tribute to Mother Teresa who stood under 5 feet but 
whose goodness and righteousness made her tower among us.
  I look forward to the Senate's swift action on this measure.
  Mr. KENNEDY. I am pleased to join with Senator Hatch in sponsoring 
legislation requested by Mother Teresa to waive visa application fees 
for religious workers coming to the United States to perform charitable 
work for temporary periods.
  During her visits to the United States, Mother Teresa asked President 
Clinton to take this step to waive visa fees for her missionaries 
coming to work in this country. Her Missionaries of Charity come to 
America to help the poor in our communities and to minister to the sick 
and the elderly. Each time they travel here, they are required to pay a 
$120 visa fee to the U.S. Government.
  It makes no sense to require these religious workers to pay a fee to 
the Federal Government in order to come here to help our communities. 
The legislation we introduce today would waive the fee in these 
instances.
  This past weekend, while attending Mother Teresa's funeral in India, 
the First Lady met with Sister Nirmala, Mother Teresa's successor at 
the Missionaries of Charity Order in Calcutta. Sister Nirmala asked 
once again for a waiver of the visa fee and was delighted to learn that 
the U.S. Senate would be considering legislation this week to 
accomplish this goal as Mother Teresa had requested.
  This is an important step that Congress can take to honor the memory 
of Mother Theresa and the compassionate work that her order brings to 
America. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President. I am pleased to be a cosponsor of 
legislation

[[Page S9516]]

authored by Senators Hatch and Kennedy to waive the visa fees for 
religious workers who enter to perform charitable functions.
  It is not in the U.S. interest to impose fees that inhibit or 
otherwise burden individuals who seek to help our communities. Mother 
Teresa spoke specifically of eliminating these fees for members of her 
mission coming to the United States to serve the poor, so as to make 
the money available for more good works. I applaud Senators Hatch and 
Kennedy for introducing this important legislation.
                                 ______