[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 132 (Monday, September 29, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H8060-H8061]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PERMANENT ENTRY AUTHORITY FOR CERTAIN RELIGIOUS WORKERS
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the Senate bill (S. 1198) to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act
to provide permanent authority for entry into the United States of
certain religious workers, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
S. 1198
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. 3-YEAR EXTENSION OF SPECIAL IMMIGRANT RELIGIOUS
WORKER PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Section 101(a)(27)(C)(ii)) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)(C)(ii))
is amended by striking ``1997,'' each place it appears and
inserting ``2000,''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a)
shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 2. WAIVER OF NONIMMIGRANT VISA FEES FOR CERTAIN
CHARITABLE PURPOSES.
(a) In General.--Section 281 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1351) is amended by adding at the
end the following new sentence: ``Subject to such criteria as
the Secretary of State may prescribe including the duration
of stay of the alien and the financial burden upon the
charitable organization, the Secretary of State shall waive
or reduce the fee for application and issuance of a
nonimmigrant visa for any alien coming to the United States
primarily for, or in activities related to, a charitable
purpose involving health or nursing care, the provision of
food or housing, job training, or any other similar direct
service or assistance to poor or otherwise needy individuals
in the United States.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a)
shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 3. 6-MONTH EXTENSION OF DEADLINE FOR DESIGNATION OF
EFFECTIVE DATE FOR PAPERWORK CHANGES IN
EMPLOYER SANCTIONS PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Section 412(e)(1) of the Illegal
Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996
(Public law 104-208; 110 Stat. 3009-668) is amended by
striking ``12'' and inserting ``18''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a)
shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the
Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act
of 1996.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas [Mr. Smith] and the gentleman from California [Mr. Condit] each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Smith].
General Leave
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to have played a role in the creation of the
Religious Worker Immigrant Visa Program in 1990. I support these visas
since they allow American religious denominations, large and small, to
benefit by the addition of committed religious workers from overseas.
The visa program expires at the end of the fiscal year, September 30.
This substitute amendment to S. 1198 extends the program for 3
additional years, until October 2000.
When the program was created, a sunset date was included because of
congressional concerns about potential fraud. Recently, the Immigration
and Naturalization Service and the State Department have strongly
indicated that these earlier concerns about fraud have, in fact, proved
warranted.
The State Department's assistant secretary of state for consular
affairs wrote to me the Department has, quote, uncovered a troubling
number of scams, both individual and organized, seeking to exploit this
category to obtain immigration benefits illegally.
Most problematic are those cases that involved organized fraud rings
in which documents or religious institutions in the United States are
fabricated or when the applicant colludes with a member of a religious
institution in the United States to misrepresent either his or her
qualifications with the position to which the applicant is destined.
The American Embassy in Moscow discovered a fraud ring in New York
which fabricated documentation of several religious denominations in
New York City on behalf of applicants who had no religious training and
no intention of taking up religious occupations in the United States.
Several consular offices have reported suspicions that some churches in
the United States have created fictitious positions solely to help an
alien procure an immigration benefit, end quote.
Extending the program for another 3 years will allow for further
investigation of the misuse of religious worker visas. We will have
time to accomplish what the State Department considers prudent; that
is, quote, to follow this program closely to see what new fraud
patterns emerge and what new tools the Department may need to deter
them, end quote.
It is in everyone's interest to combat fraud for, as the State
Department notes, quote, for the first time we will reach the statutory
limit of 5,000 religious worker immigrant visas this fiscal year. Any
future growth in the use of the program will cause the development of a
waiting list. This will mean that each visa fraudulently obtained will
delay the issuance of an immigrant visa to legitimate religious
workers, end quote.
This substitute amendment to S. 1198 also includes a provision added
to the Senate bill by Senator Hatch. The provision would allow the
Secretary of State to waive or reduce visa processing fees for aliens
coming to the United States for purposes involving health or nursing
care, the providing of food or housing, job training, or any other
similar direct service or assistance to the poor and needy here in the
United States.
Lastly, S. 1198 extends the time period last year's immigration bill
gave
[[Page H8061]]
the INS to reduce the number of documents acceptable for employment
verification purposes. The INS informs us that the agency cannot,
within the original deadline of the end of the month, issue appropriate
regulations and properly educate employers. The bill, therefore, grants
the INS a 6-month extension of that deadline.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in support of the
substitute amendment to S. 1198.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CONDIT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill, as amended.
(Mr. CONDIT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. CONDIT. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the gentleman from North
Carolina [Mr. Watt] I rise in support.
{time} 1215
There are some difficulties with the bill. There are some Members on
this side of the aisle who would have preferred for us to have a
permanent extension, and the Senate did pass a permanent extension, but
we have worked together in a bipartisan way. We understand the White
House would prefer it to be permanent, but they are in support of
however we can work it out over here. So I rise in behalf of the
gentleman from North Carolina [Mr. Watt] in support of the bill today.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank the gentleman from
California [Mr. Condit] for his comments and his support for this bill.
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I intend to support S. 1198 as substituted
by the gentleman from Texas.
The availability of visas for religious workers to come and do good
in our country is important. We all agree on that.
I would prefer a permanent extension of these visas, but can vote for
Chairman Smith's 3-year extension before us today.
I recommend that my colleagues join me in supporting this bill.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CONDIT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time as well.
The SPEAKER pro tempore [Mr. Upton]. The question on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Smith] that the House suspend
the rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 1198, as amended.
The question was taken.
Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not
present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
____________________