[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 46 (Wednesday, April 12, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2618-S2619]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ABRAHAM (for himself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. DeWine, and Mr. 
        Leahy):
  S. 2406. A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to 
provide permanent authority for entry into the United States of certain 
religious workers; to the Committee on the Judiciary.


                  Mother Teresa Religious Workers Act

  Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Mother Teresa 
Religious Workers Act. This legislation will make permanent provisions 
of the Immigration and Nationality Act that set aside 10,000 visas per 
year for ``special immigrants.''
  Up to 5,000 of these visas annually can be used for ministers of a 
religious denomination. In addition, a related provision of the law 
provides 5,000 visas per year to individuals working for religious 
organizations in ``a religious vocation or occupation'' or in a 
``professional capacity in a religious vocation or occupation.'' This 
has allowed nuns, brothers, cantors, lay preachers, religious 
instructors, religious counselors, missionaries, and other persons to 
work at their vocations or occupations for religious organizations or 
their affiliates.
  The key component of the law will expire on September 30 of this year 
unless Congress acts.
  Under the law, a sponsoring organization must be a bona fide 
religious organization or an affiliate of one, and must be certified or 
eligible to be certified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal 
Revenue Code. Religious workers must have two years work experience to 
qualify for an immigrant visa.
  Prior to 1990, churches, synagogues, mosques, and their affiliated 
organizations experienced significant difficulties in trying to gain 
admission for a much needed minister or other individual necessary to 
provide religious services to their communities. However, this 
improvement in the law in 1990 was not made permanent and, as such, has 
required reauthorization every two or three years, which has created 
uncertainly among religious organizations.
  Bishop John Cummins of Oakland has written:

       Religious workers provide a very important pastoral 
     function to the American communities in which they work and 
     live, performing activities in furtherance of a vocation or 
     religious occupation often possessing characteristics unique 
     from those found in the general labor market. Historically, 
     religious workers have staffed hospitals, orphanages, senior 
     care homes and other charitable institutions that provide 
     benefits to society without public funding.

  Bishop Cummins noted that,

       The steady decline in native-born Americans entering 
     religious vocations and occupations, coupled with the 
     dramatically increasing need for charitable services in 
     impoverished communities makes the extension of this special 
     immigrant provision a necessity for numerous religious 
     denominations in the United States.

  The sentiments expressed by Bishop Cummins are widely held. Indeed 
this program has won universal praise in religious communities across 
the nation. In the past, our office has received letters from religious 
orders and organizations throughout the nation.
  As a nation founded by people who came to these shores so they and 
their children could worship freely, it is only appropriate that our 
country welcome those who wish to help our religious organizations 
provide pastoral and other relief to people around this nation.
  That is why I have introduced the Mother Teresa Religious Workers 
Act. The bill will eliminate the sunset provisions in current law and 
extend permanently the religious workers provisions of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act. It is clear that religious organizations' ability 
to sponsor individuals who provide service to their local communities 
should be a permanent fixture of our immigration law, just as it is for 
those petitioning for close family members and skilled workers. No 
longer should religious institutions have to worry about whether 
Congress will act in time to renew the religious workers provisions. I 
am pleased Senators Kennedy, DeWine, and Leahy are cosponsoring this 
legislation.
  Finally, I would like to close by reading a passage from a letter 
sent to me in 1997. It's a letter that at the time helped convince me 
of the need to move toward permanent extension of the religious workers 
provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The letter read as 
follows:

       Dear Senator Abraham: I am writing to ask you to help us in 
     solving a very urgent problem. My Sisters in New York have 
     told me that the law which allows the Sisters to apply for 
     permanent residence in the United States expires on September 
     30, 1997. Please, will you do all that you can to have that 
     law extended so that all Religious will continue to have the 
     opportunity to be permanent residents and serve the people of 
     your great country.
       It means so much to our poor people to have Sisters who 
     understand them and their culture. It takes a long time for a 
     Sister to understand the people and a culture, so now our 
     Society wants to keep our Sisters in their mission countries 
     on a more long term basis. Please help us and our poor by 
     extending this law.

[[Page S2619]]

       I am praying for you and the people of Michigan. My Sisters 
     serve the poor in Detroit where we have a soup kitchen and 
     night shelter for women. Let us all thank God for this chance 
     to serve His poor.
       Signed: Mother Teresa.

  My office received this letter only a few weeks before her death. In 
honor of her great deeds for humanity I hope that this year we can 
finally extend the religious workers provisions of the INA permanently.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 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. 2406

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Mother Teresa Religious 
     Workers Act''.

     SEC. 2. PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR ENTRY INTO UNITED STATES OF 
                   CERTAIN RELIGIOUS WORKERS.

       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 ``before October 1, 2000,'' each place it appears.
                                 ______