Speech #830100510

Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to have an opportunity to vote in favor of the legislation before us to permit the admission of 240.000 specialquota immigrants to the United States within the next 3 years. The necessity for such emergency immigration legislation has been under consideration for a long time. and when we realize that we represent the only hope of freedom and security to many of the refugee victims of Communist oppression. we can only conclude that we have not acted soon enough. We have been too slow in accepting our share of the burden of caring for and giving refuge to those who gave their all in the name of freedom. We should have assumed the leadership in helping to solve the refugeepopulation problem. for we have grown to be a great and powerful Nation as a result of opening our doors to those who looked to us as a haven. From earliest times in our history we have admitted those who fled from religious and political persecution and tyranny in their own countries. The refugees whom we seek to admit have suffered the greatest losses we can numberloss of country. loss of home and possessions. loss of friends and neighbors. In fleeing from oppression by the Communists and to preserve his freedom. the refugee sacrificed everything he owned in the world and all he had accomplished. At this time the refugees life is tragic and filled with uncertainties. Many thousands are still living in refugee camps in Italy. West Berlin. in the German Federal Republic. and in Austria. While the European nations have done their very best to help and have given the refugees protection. their own problems of reconstruction. rehabilitation. unemployment. production of food and other necessities. make it impossible for them to absorb into their population the influx of millions of refugees. These are critical times for. the nations of Europe now faced with a serious refugee problem. it is most unfair that they should be required to divert so much of their resources to the care of those who are unable to maintain themselves. and that their own recovery and stabilization should be jeopardized or sacrificed entirely. Communism and totalitarianism thrive on unemployment. lack of housing. lack of food. and discontent. The menace of Communism is a real threat to many European nations now fighting these problems.