Speech #810211468

Mr. President. the purpose of this amendment is to impose upon the Displaced Persons Commission the duty and responsibility of receiving. processing. and transporting the 54.000 volksdeutsche who would be authorized for admission under section 12. and to authorize an appropriation of not to exceed $10.000.000 for this purpose. In this connection. it should be pointed out that the socalled Kilgore substitute carries a provision of advances up to $2.500.000 by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation for a similar purpose. and also imposes a duty upon the Commission to "make the necessary arrangements incident to the transfer of persons eligible for immigration to the United States under this section from their place of residence in Germany or Austria to the port of embarkationand from the port of embarkation to the port of entry in the United States." The imposition of such a duty upon the Commission would be the basis for an appropriations estimate. but under the language of the Kilgore substitute. there would be no limit upon the amount of the appropriation so authorized. Under the amendment which I have now offered. a limit of $10.000.000 is placed upon the total cost. By authorizing a specific appropriation. the amendment also avoids the evil of requiring the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to advance unappropriated funds.