Alan Simpson: “this amendment will strike a very ill- defined section of this bill on page 196, which would give no one any indication…”

“this amendment will strike a very ill- defined section of this bill on page 196, which would give no one any indication as to what it is because it leaves us simply in the section numbers and subsection numbers. The amendment would strike that provision in this bill, one whose title is Section 576, ``Extension Of Certain Adjudication Provisions.'' It does not accurately capture its full importance in any way. My colleagues may be unaware of this provision's significance. And the committee report provides precious little guidance. The report says only that this provision ``amends current law to extend for another year the authority to adjust the status of certain aliens.'' This provision, Mr. President, has far more serious consequences than its title indicates. It is the continuation of what was known originally as the Lautenberg amendment, a very well-founded amendment in 1989. I commended my friend then, and I have always enjoyed working with Senator Lautenberg. It is now a provision which has distorted, in these times in 1996, has distorted our refugee system and permitted the entry of frauds and criminals into the United States. This provision is an abuse in its present form, an abuse of the refugee act. I hope my colleagues will join me in sweeping away this cold war provision, this relic, in restoring credibility to U.S. refugee admissions. Let me review it with you very briefly.…”