[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 134 (Tuesday, October 24, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H10704-H10705]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                FOR THE RELIEF OF PERSIAN GULF EVACUEES

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from 
the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 3646) for the relief of certain 
Persian Gulf evacuees, with a Senate amendment thereto, and concur in 
the Senate amendment.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The Clerk read the Senate amendment, as follows:

       Senate amendment:
       Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

     SECTION 1. ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS FOR CERTAIN PERSIAN GULF 
                   EVACUEES.

       (a) In General.--The Attorney General shall adjust the 
     status of each alien referred to in subsection (b) to that of 
     an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence if the 
     alien--
       (1) applies for such adjustment;
       (2) has been physically present in the United States for at 
     least 1 year and is physically present in the United States 
     on the date the application for such adjustment is filed;
       (3) is admissible to the United States as an immigrant, 
     except as provided in subsection (c); and
       (4) pays a fee (determined by the Attorney General) for the 
     processing of such application.
       (b) Aliens Eligible for Adjustment of Status.--The benefits 
     provided in subsection (a) shall apply to the following 
     aliens:
       (1) Waddah Al-Zireeni, Enas Al-Zireeni, and Anwaar Al-
     Zireeni.
       (2) Salah Mohamed Abu Eljibat, Ghada Mohamed Abu Eljibat, 
     and Tareq Salah Abu Eljibat.
       (3) Jehad Mustafa, Amal Mustafa, and Raed Mustafa.
       (4) Shaher M. Abed.
       (5) Zaid H. Khan and Nadira P. Khan.
       (6) Rawhi M. Abu Tabanja, Basima Fareed Abu Tabanja, and 
     Mohammed Rawhi Abu Tabanja.
       (7) Reuben P. D'Silva, Anne P. D'Silva, Natasha Andrew 
     Collette D'Silva, and Agnes D'Silva.
       (8) Abbas I. Bhikhapurawala, Nafisa Bhikhapurawala, and 
     Tasnim Bhikhapurawala.
       (9) Fayez Sharif Ezzir, Abeer Muharram Ezzir, Sharif Fayez 
     Ezzir, and Mohammed Fayez Ezzir.
       (10) Issam Musleh, Nadia Khader, and Duaa Musleh.
       (11) Ahmad Mohammad Khalil, Mona Khalil, and Sally Khalil.
       (12) Husam Al-Khadrah and Kathleen Al-Khadrah.
       (13) Nawal M. Hajjawi.
       (14) Isam S. Naser and Samar I. Naser.
       (15) Amalia Arsua.
       (16) Feras Taha, Bernardina Lopez-Taha, and Yousef Taha.
       (17) Mahmood M. Alessa and Nadia Helmi Abusoud.
       (18) Emad R. Jawwad.
       (19) Mohammed Ata Alawamleh, Zainab Abueljebain, and Nizar 
     Alawamleh.
       (20) Yacoub Ibrahim and Wisam Ibrahim.
       (21) Tareq S. Shehadah and Inas S. Shehadah.
       (22) Basim A. Al-Ali and Nawal B. Al-Ali.
       (23) Hael Basheer Atari and Hanaa Al Moghrabi.
       (24) Fahim N. Mahmoud, Firnal Mahmoud, Alla Mahmoud, and 
     Ahmad Mahmoud.
       (25) Tareq A. Attari.
       (26) Azmi A. Mukahal, Wafa Mukahal, Yasmin A. Mukahal, and 
     Ahmad A. Mukahal.
       (27) Nabil Ishaq El-Hawwash, Amal Nabil El Hawwash, and 
     Ishaq Nabil El-Hawwash.
       (28) Samir Ghalayini, Ismat F. Abujaber, and Wasef 
     Ghalayini.
       (29) Iman Mallah, Rana Mallah, and Mohanned Mallah.
       (30) Mohsen Mahmoud and Alia Mahmoud.
       (31) Nijad Abdelrahman, Najwa Yousef Abdelrahman, and 
     Faisal Abdelrahman.
       (32) Nezam Mahdawi, Sohad Mahdawi, and Bassam Mahdawi.
       (33) Khalid S. Mahmoud and Fawziah Mahmoud.
       (34) Wael I. Saymeh, Zatelhimma N. Al Sahafie, Duaa W. 
     Saymeh, and Ahmad W. Saymeh.
       (35) Ahmed Mohammed Jawdat Anis Naji.
       (36) Sesinando P. Suaverdez, Maria Cristina Sylvia P. 
     Suaverdez, and Sesinando Paguio Suaverdez II.
       (37) Hanan Said and Yasmin Said.
       (38) Hani Salem, Manal Salem, Tasnim Salem, and Suleiman 
     Salem.
       (39) Ihsan Mohammed Adwan, Hanan Mohammed Adwan, Maha 
     Adwan, Nada M. Adwan, Reem Adwan, and Lina A. Adwan.
       (40) Ziyad Al Ajjouri and Dima Al Ajjouri.
       (41) Essam K. Taha.
       (42) Salwa S. Beshay, Alexan L. Basta, Rehan Basta, and 
     Sherif Basta.
       (43) Latifa Hussin, Anas Hussin, Ahmed Hussin, Ayman 
     Hussin, and Assma Hussin.
       (44) Farah Bader Shaath and Rawan Bader Shaath.
       (45) Bassam Barqawi and Amal Barqawi.
       (46) Nabil Abdel Raoof Maswadeh.
       (47) Nizam I. Wattar and Mohamed Ihssan Wattar.
       (48) Wail F. Shbib and Ektimal Shbib.
       (49) Reem Rushdi Salman and Rasha Talat Salman.
       (50) Khalil A. Awadalla and Eman K. Awadalla.
       (51) Nabil A. Alyadak, Majeda Sheta, Iman Alyadak, and Wafa 
     Alyadak.
       (52) Mohammed A. Ariqat, Hitaf M. Ariqat, Ruba Ariqat, 
     Renia Ariqat, and Reham Ariqat.
       (53) Hazem A. Al-Masri.
       (54) Tawfiq M. Al-Taher and Rola T. Al-Taher.
       (55) Nadeem Mirza.
       (c) Waiver of Certain Grounds for Inadmissibility.--The 
     provisions of paragraphs (4), (5), and (7)(A) of section 
     212(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act shall not apply 
     to adjustment of status under this Act.
       (d) Offset in Number of Visas Available.--Upon each 
     granting to an alien of the status of having been lawfully 
     admitted for permanent residence under this section, the 
     Secretary of State shall instruct the proper officer to 
     reduce by one, during the current or next following fiscal 
     year, the total number of immigrant visas that are made 
     available to natives of the country of the alien's birth 
     under section 203(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
     or, if applicable, the total number of immigrant visas that 
     are made available to natives of the country of the alien's 
     birth under section 202(e) of such Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, 
and I will not object, I would ask the gentleman from Texas for an 
explanation.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Texas for 
yielding.
  H.R. 3646 would allow certain individuals we evacuated from Kuwait in 
1990 during the Persian Gulf War to become permanent residents of the 
United States.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank 
the gentleman very much. That was a tragic war and certainly one that 
brought about a number of evacuees. I am very delighted that we are 
responding to their need and as well to bring closure to this period in 
our lives.

[[Page H10705]]

  Further reserving the right to object, I yield to the gentleman from 
West Virginia (Mr. Rahall).
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for 
yielding to me, and certainly want to commend her as the ranking member 
and the gentleman from Texas, the chairman of the subcommittee, for 
their help on this legislation that I introduced.
  Both of my colleagues from Texas have adequately explained the bill, 
and I certainly commend them for their sense of fairness and justice on 
this legislation.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished 
gentleman from West Virginia for his very hard work.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of 
objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________