Mr. President. the administration has carried on a program of assistance. resettlement. and other appropriate activities in behalf of refugees who have come to this country. largely to southern Florida. to escape the Castro regime. This program has been financed from the Presidents contingency fund authorized under section 451 of the Mutual Security Act of 1954. as amended. Funds for the program are presently made available under the joint resolution of the Congress authorizing expenditures until appropriations have finally been made. The administration has proposed to the Congress that refugee activity be separated from foreign assistance. To this end. it has submitted legislation which is being considered in the Judiciary Committee of the House of RepresentativesH.R. 8291. The authority for such assistance under the foreign assistance program would accordingly be repealed by S. 1983 which embodies the administrations proposals for international development. If the foreign aid billthe Act for International Development of 1961should become law prior to the enactment of refugee legislation. statutory authority for the Cuban program and other refugee programs would terminate for the interval between the enactment of the two laws. To avoid this prospect. I propose an amendment at this time to continue these programs until legislation is enacted for this purpose and ask that it be adopted.
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refugee refugees