All Americans greeted this end of our involvement in Vietnam with a sense of gratitude and relief. It is important now that we not forget about those whose lives have been deeply affected by the Vietnam conflict. There are millions of children and refugees whose needs must be attended to. and it is unrealistic to expect the Vietnamese to do this job alone after the war. It is imperative that we work with the Vietnamese to resolve the social problems the war has created by directing ourselves toward helping them to rebuild their country. And we also have a moral obligation to the thousands of Vietnamese children with an American parent who are left to fend for themselves in the streets or orphanages of Vietnam. I am today joining the gentleman from New York in introducing two pieces of legislation intended to meet what I see as the two most serious areas of need resulting from the conflict. One bill would establish within the Peace Corps a special program. to be known as the Vietnam Assistance Volunteers program. with a mandate to provide refugee relocation assistance. medical assistance to war victims. and medical. educational and material assistance to orphans. The other would simplify adoption procedures for and confer United States citizenship on VietnameseAmerican children who are orphaned or abandoned. The need for a coordinated program of assistance in Vietnam is clear.
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