[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 135 (Saturday, November 20, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H10218]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AMENDING AND EXTENDING IRISH PEACE PROCESS CULTURAL AND TRAINING
PROGRAM ACT OF 1998
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from
the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 2655) to amend and extend the Irish
Peace Process Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998, 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. AMENDMENT AND EXTENSION OF IRISH PEACE PROCESS
CULTURAL AND TRAINING PROGRAM.
(a) Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program
Act.--
(1) Program participant requirements.--Section 2(a) of the
Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998
(8 U.S.C. 1101 note) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(5) Program participant requirements.--An alien entering
the United States as a participant in the program shall
satisfy the following requirements:
``(A) The alien shall be a citizen of the United Kingdom or
the Republic of Ireland.
``(B) The alien shall be between 21 and 35 years of age on
the date of departure for the United States.
``(C) The alien shall have resided continuously in a
designated county for not less than 18 months before such
date.
``(D) The alien shall have been continuously unemployed for
not less than 12 months before such date.
``(E) The alien may not have a degree from an institution
of higher education.''.
(2) Extension of program.--Section 2 of the Irish Peace
Process Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998 (8 U.S.C.
1101 note) is amended--
(A) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ``the third program
year and for the 4 subsequent years,'' and inserting ``each
program year,''; and
(B) by amending subsection (d) to read as follows:
``(d) Sunset.--
``(1) Effective October 1, 2008, the Irish Peace Process
Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998 is repealed.
``(2) Effective October 1, 2008, section 101(a)(15)(Q) of
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(Q))
is amended--
``(A) by striking `or' at the end of clause (i);
``(B) by striking `(i)' after `(Q)'; and
``(C) by striking clause (ii).''.
(3) Cost-sharing.--Section 2 of the Irish Peace Process
Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998 (8 U.S.C. 1101
note), as amended by paragraph (2), is further amended--
(A) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections
(d) and (e), respectively; and
(B) by inserting after subsection (b), the following new
subsection:
``(c) Cost-sharing.--The Secretary of State shall verify
that the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland continue
to pay a reasonable share of the costs of the administration
of the cultural and training programs carried out pursuant to
this Act.''.
(4) Technical amendments.--The Irish Peace Process Cultural
and Training Program Act of 1998 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note) is
amended--
(A) by striking ``Attorney General'' each place such term
appears and inserting ``Secretary of Homeland Security''; and
(B) by striking ``Immigration and Naturalization Service''
each place such term appears and inserting ``Department of
Homeland Security''.
(b) Immigration and Nationality Act.--
(1) Requirements for nonimmigrant status.--Section
101(a)(15)(Q) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8
U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(Q)) is amended--
(A) by striking ``Attorney General'' each place such term
appears and inserting ``Secretary of Homeland Security''; and
(B) in clause (ii)(I)--
(i) by striking ``35 years of age or younger having a
residence'' and inserting ``citizen of the United Kingdom or
the Republic of Ireland, 21 to 35 years of age, unemployed
for not less than 12 months, and having a residence for not
less than 18 months''; and
(ii) by striking ``36 months)'' and inserting ``24
months)''.
(2) Foreign residence requirement.--Section 212 of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182) is amended--
(A) by redesignating the subsection (p) as added by section
1505(f) of Public Law 106-386 (114 Stat. 1526) as subsection
(s); and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(t)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), no person
admitted under section 101(a)(15)(Q)(ii)(I), or acquiring
such status after admission, shall be eligible to apply for
nonimmigrant status, an immigrant visa, or permanent
residence under this Act until it is established that such
person has resided and been physically present in the
person's country of nationality or last residence for an
aggregate of at least 2 years following departure from the
United States.
``(2) The Secretary of Homeland Security may waive the
requirement of such 2-year foreign residence abroad if the
Secretary determines that--
``(A) departure from the United States would impose
exceptional hardship upon the alien's spouse or child (if
such spouse or child is a citizen of the United States or an
alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence); or
``(B) the admission of the alien is in the public interest
or the national interest of the United States.''.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous
consent that the Senate amendment be considered as read and printed in
the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Wisconsin?
There was no objection.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2655 would extend the Irish
Peace Process Cultural and Training Program for 2 years, from 2006 to
2008. It would also modify the provisions of the program to ensure that
those aliens receiving visas are those the program was designed to
benefit.
In 1998, Representative Walsh guided the Irish Peace Process Cultural
and Training Program Act to enactment. The purpose of the program is to
allow young adults who live in disadvantaged areas of Northern Ireland
and designated border counties of Ireland that are suffering from
sectarian violence and high unemployment to enter the United States to
develop job skills and conflict resolution abilities in a diverse,
cooperative, peaceful, and prosperous environment. They can then return
to their homes better able to contribute toward economic regeneration
and the Irish peace process. Up to 4,000 qualifying aliens (and their
spouses and minor children) can be admitted each year and they can stay
in the U.S. for up to 3 years.
Mr. Walsh's bill, H.R. 2655, would extend the program for another 2
years, until October 1, 2008. It would also make a number of changes to
the program to ensure that the aliens granted admission are those truly
economically disadvantaged young adults the program was designed to
help. These changes include requirements that program participants not
have degrees from institutions of higher education, that they be at
least 21 years of age, that they be nationals of the United Kingdom or
the Republic of Ireland, that they have been unemployed for at least
one year and resident in Northern Ireland or the designated border
counties for at least 18 months.
The bill would also make changes to the program to help ensure that
the aliens return to Ireland to foster economic development and peace.
For instance, it would also require that aliens admitted under the
program return home for 2 years before they could apply for an
immigrant visa, permanent residence, or another nonimmigrant visa.
I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 2655.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the original request
of the gentleman from Wisconsin?
There was no objection.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________