Speech #920173451

U.S. effort should be geared to operate through international orgAnizations. This would permit the United States to shoulder a "fair share" of what is clearly. an international responsibility. It isevident that almgt -a quarter of a..century. after the dislocations of World War II the priorities and resources of the Department of States Office of..Migratin and Refugee Assistance are almo4 . exclusively. directed toward European refugees. This discriminates against crying and almost ..overwhelming needs. in the Near East. Nigeria. Vietnam. and particularly Pakistan. Just. as the United States has underwritten the. entire costs.of the Cuban refugee program. the committee feels that the European countries of original asylumprincipally Austria. West. ermany. ..Italy. Turkey. Lebanon. and Greeceare fully capable of meeting the need for care and maintenance of those seeking temporary refuge within their borders.. Therefore...the committee recommendsQlimination of the U.S. refugee programSRPunder which sWplement~ry. assistance .has heretofore been provided -for.XEvropdan. refugees. Actual fiscal year 1972 expenses incurred to date under continuing resolution authority should be underwritten first from administrative expenses for which the full amount has been allowed and which can now be sharply curtailed and. if necessary. from other programs such as the U.S. contribution to ICEMs administrative budget. Mr. President. the Senator from Massachusetts has raised a very appealing issue. one which I support. recognizing the enormous burden on the State of Israel from the refugees who have come to Israel. I have studied this for many years. and I am sympathetic to any appeal of this kind. I do not know of any country that has borne such an enormous burdenand borne it as well as has Israel. because it is a country of refugees. I would approve any reasonable amount for the purpose of aiding these refugees to Israel. but let us know what we are doing. How much of this money is to go for those Soviet refugees who are going .to Israel? We ought to know that. There ought to be some kind of understanding with Israel.