Speech #860267361

Mr. President. especially when we know that if we take a few pieces of bread. we shall be losing friends in a large part of the world. I refer to the large group of people who live in the great AsiaticPacific triangle. They constitute probably onehalf of the worlds population. By taking a few pieces of bread. we shall be telling these people that they are not good enough to associate with us. that all the good things we have been telling them. we do not really mean. and that we do not practice what we preach. Mr. President. the amendment I have proposed will eliminate discrimination and bias from our approach in helping to solve partially the worlds refugee problem. This amendment will tell all the people of the world that we are a fair and a just Nation. and that when we say we want to be friends to all people. regardless of color. creed. or race. we really mean what we say. and that we do not say things that we do not mean. This amendment will prevent anyone from accusing us of not being equitable or fair in the laws we enact. House Joint Resolution 397. as now before the Senate. discriminates against refugees of the Middle East and the Far East. It says to them. "We do not want any of younot even a single one of youto come to the United States to live." Yet. Mr. President. at the same time House Joint Resolution 397 says to the refugees in European refugee camps. "Every fourth one of you is welcome to come to the United States to live. if other nations will take the other three." The joint resolution will allow onefourth of the number of European refugees who are resettled in other countries to be settled in the United States. But the resolution will not allow any refugees from the Far East or from the Middle East to come into the United States. for in the joint resolution it is stated that a refugee who will be allowed to come to the United States under this measure must be a refugee within the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The State Department. in its letter to the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives. states. in regard to this restriction on the eligibility of refugees to those who fall under the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. thatin the opinion of the Department this limitation would discriminate against certain classes of refugees. principally in the Middle East and Far East. who have not been determined as falling under the aforementioned mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. My amendment would allow the Attorney General to parole into the United States a total of 4.500 refugees. or 2.250 refugees a year for a 2year period. beginning July 1. 1960. and ending June 30. 1962. from areas not within the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. This amendment will allow the Attorney General to parole into the United States. at his discretionand mind you. Mr.