[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 84 (Wednesday, June 24, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S7012]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and 
were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-496. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

                    Assembly Joint Resolution No. 61

       Whereas, The attainment of United States citizenship is 
     recognized by many legal immigrants as a key to full 
     participation in civic life; and
       Whereas, There presently exists a backlog of 700,000 
     naturalization applications in California awaiting 
     processing--some for as long as two years; now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of 
     California encourages the Commissioner of the Immigration and 
     Naturalization Service, the President, and the Congress of 
     the United States to ensure that available resources are 
     directed, and any additional funds as needed are 
     appropriated, in order to eliminate, within 10 months, the 
     current backlog in naturalization applications; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California 
     respectfully memorializes the Commissioner of the Immigration 
     and Naturalization Service, the President, and the Congress 
     of the United States to ensure that, without harm to the 
     integrity of the naturalization process, all future 
     applicants for naturalization will receive a determination 
     within six months of their date of application; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California 
     respectfully memorializes the Commissioner of the Immigration 
     and Naturalization Service, the President, and the Congress 
     of the United States to refrain from the consideration of any 
     increase in naturalization fees until such time as the 
     present backlog is eliminated and resources are committed to 
     ensure that future applications will be processed within six 
     months of their date of application; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit 
     copies of this resolution to the Commissioner of the 
     Immigration and Naturalization Service, the President and the 
     Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the 
     House of Representatives, and to each Senator and 
     Representative from California in the Congress of the United 
     States.

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