I wholeheartedly support the recommendations of the committee and I hope that my colleagues will give these recommendations their unanimous endorsement. There is. however. one minor but very important amendment which I should like to offer. It involves the expenditure of $3 million for Algerian refugees. The administration had submitted requests for its various refugee programs totaling $21.977.000. The House had slashed this amount to $14.477.000. without pausing to consider the truly crippling effect that this massive cutback would have had on vital aspects of our refugee program. The Senate Appropriations Committee has recommended restoration of $2.3 million. which would take care of all of the refugee programs proposed by the administration. with the exception of the Algerian refugee program. I propose that H.R. 13175 be amended in the following manner: On page 16. line 7. strike out "$16.677.000" and insert in lieu thereof "$19.677.000." This would have the effect of restoring $3 million of the $5.3 million which the administration requested for assistance to Algerian refugees and displaced Algerians. Actually. the need for this program is so great I would have preferred to see the entire $5.3 million restored. But I realize that we cannot do everything and that we have to economize at certain points. and it is for this reason that I am proposing an amendment which represents a reduction of $2.3 million from the figure originally requested.
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refugee refugees