Speech #840226830

Mr. Speaker. I call to the attention of this body an article from the July 22 Sunday Star on the refugee relief situation. This act is due to expire on the last day of this year unless my bill or others like it are acted upon to extend the law beyond that date. My bill also calls for the pooling of unused quotas in the case of Germany and Austria to provide them for nationals of Italy and Greece whose quotas are very badly oversubscribed. It is discouraging and frustrating to note that this Congress has done nothing to relieve these conditions or correct the inequities and shortcomings of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The Administrator of the Refugee Relief Act. Mr. Pierce J. Gerety. who has given the program a tremendous boost. has repeatedly requested Congress to provide for the redistribution of unused quotas before the expiration date. It is obviously too late at this time to expect Congress to give serious thought to the revision of our general immigration program. But it is not too late for the Senate to give consideration to the wishes of Senator WATKINs to amend the sheepherders bill to provide for the pooling of A5816 these unused numbers. Such an amendment would carry out the basic Intent of the refugee program and enable many deserving persons to immigrate to the United States where they are now unable to do so. With so many worthy refugees asking to come to our country and with numbers available to them through redistribution. it is incumbent upon Congress to act on this matter before adjournment.