Subject: HQ NR #7067: Capitol Hill Lobby Day on Simpson Bill

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 7 Dec 1995 19:00:46 -0500

*  *  *    N E W S   R E L E A S E   7067   *  *  *
             _________   December 7, 1995   __________

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IFCSS Foundation, Inc. 733 15th Street, NW  Suite 440 Washington,
     D.C. 20005   Tel: (202) 347-0017      Fax: (202) 347-0018
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             Capitol Hill Lobby Day on Simpson Bill

The IFCSS joined  a  team to  lobby  the  Senators'  offices  today on
Simpson's bill S 1394. The team, composed of six  representatives from
American Immigration Lawyers Association and Ethnic groups, etc. spent
a whole day on Capitol Hill, addressing a variety of concerns at  five
Judiciary Committee Senators' offices.

The tour began with Senator Feingold's office at 10:00 am, at a  meet-
ing with Andrew Kutler, a legislative counsel.   The team was informed
that the Senator was quite concerned with  the  issues  regarding  the 
points that legal immigration should not be affected.     At 11:00 am,
the team went to Senator Brown's office, talking with Carlos Retureta,
his legislative staff.  Carlos expressed he heard a lot from  business
groups,   and Senator Brown of Corolado supported the control of ille-
gal immigration which indeed had many problems, but believed that leg-
al immigrants, including employment-based immigrants, through  approp-
riate processes under the current system,  should  be allowed into the
country.    Carlos claimed he and his office had got a lot of messages
from the constituents and various groups,  and was symphathetic to the
concerns very well. "How can you make a bill (S 1394) like this!" said 
Carlos.

The team continued at 2:00 pm in the afternoon, to reach Senator Abra-
ham's office,  meeting with Judiciary Counsel Raymond Kethledge for 45
minutes.    Raymond pointed out that the staff level of this and other
offices didn't give up making effort to split the bill and make it in-
to separate issues. He emphasized that Michigan was not a state of an-
ti-immigrants,   and the Senator wouldn't go in an opposite direction.
Senator was very concerned with setting limit to legal immigrants.  He
ridiculed himself that  he didn't have intelligence to understand  how 
S 1394 got passed in the Subcommittee. Finally he even made the lobby-
ists more optimistic, when he was requested to suggest Mr. Abraham  to 
convince another Senator Specter for working together,  Raymond promi-
sed to stay in touch with us for future coordination.  Abraham is from
Michigan.

At around 3:00pm, Melanie Sabo,   a staff of Senator Thurmond (SC) was 
contacted in a tiny room at Hart Hall.   Melanie patiently listened to 
opinions and views. However, she admitted later on that she wished she 
could help but the Senator had decided to follow the leadership of Mr.
Simpson.   The IFCSS President Xing Zheng individually  questioned her 
about her boss' stand on some particular provisions,  and she said the 
Senator would consider the issues related  to employment-based immigr-
ation for sure.   

The last visit went to Senator  Herbert  Kohl  of  Wisconsin's  office
at 3:45 pm, and the team met Eileen Hattan, the legislative Aide. As a 
very  smart staff at the meeting, she thought that the S 1394 had been 
controversial    but she questioneed the visitors with many reasonable 
arguments.  Her boss was particularly   concerned with prevailing wage 
issue,  and would see how it would be going on with coming  amendments 
regarding the whole legal immigration issue. The visit was positive.

The IFCSS representative attended the meetings,   and   also presented 
to Senators' aides  drafted letters regarding employment-based   immi-
gration issues with particular requests  for striking several provisi-
ons in Simpson's amended S 1394.     Staffs all promised to convey the 
messages to their Senators for further considerations.

The visit to meet the Hill staffs face to face concluded at about 5:00
pm. It is obvious that the opinions of Senators differ,  but   clearly
there are all concerned with employment-based issue more or less.  The
more vigorous lobby is needed by any means.   While Xing Zheng chatted
with Dr. Han Lianchao, the former IFCSS Vice President and current one
of Senator Brown's legislative counsels  after  the  lobby,   Liaochao
believed that  Simpson  bill  could  pass but it must be a compromised
version, which depended on how vigorously the lobby could mount up and
how concerned about and committed to the community  members  were,  to
combat the bill. 

     Thanks for your attention, and have a nice weekend!

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