[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 18 (Thursday, February 17, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




A BILL TO ALLOW FOR PRIORITY IN THE ISSUANCE OF IMMIGRANT VISAS TO SONS 
            AND DAUGHTERS OF FILIPINO WORLD WAR II VETERANS

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. ED CASE

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 17, 2005

  Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce a bill that will 
provide for the expedited reunification of the families of our Filipino 
World War II veterans who have become citizens of the United States.
  This body has many times over recognized the courage and commitment 
of the Filipino troops who fought alongside our armed forces in the 
Philippines during World War II. In 1990, we provided a waiver from 
certain naturalization requirements for these veterans, and many 
thereafter became proud citizens and residents of our country. Most 
recently, in the 108th Congress, we provided a long-delayed and long-
denied measure of justice by granting them a partial measure of 
veterans benefits which were unjustly denied to them in 1946.
  But a huge gap still remains, for we did not allow naturalization in 
1990 to the children of these same veterans. What my bill does is allow 
for the sons and daughters of those veterans that became U.S. citizens 
through the process established in 1990 to have priority in their 
respective immigration categories.
  These are real-life issues, for the stories of families who have 
waited years, even decades, to be reunited are heartbreaking. For 
example, a veteran and his wife living in Hawai`i filed immigration 
petitions for two of their six adult children; they have waited over 
ten years for a visa to be issued to either. Another veteran petitioned 
successfully for his wife's immigration visa, but has not been as 
successful with the applications for their five adult children. Again, 
this family has been holding on for ten years with the hope that they 
will one day live in the U.S. as a complete family.
  As we all know, our Filipino World War II veterans are entering the 
sunset years of their lives. We have addressed some small measure of 
the need to give adequate veterans benefits for their commendable 
service. I look forward to working with my colleagues in recognizing 
and providing for the reunification of these families of our Filipino 
World War II veterans.

                          ____________________