Speaker. I am really amazed by those who balk at providing funds for the evacuation of Americans and those loyal to America from South Vietnam. These people are perhaps the most important group of refugees to claim our attention in the history of America. These refugees are living. loyal Americans and their families. We have a long tradition of aiding those fleeing Communist oppression or combat zones. and we have been generous in the extreme to such refugee groups. Now we face a situation where it is American citizens who are in danger. and those who have shown direct loyalty to the national interests of the United States of America. H.R. 6096 asks $77 million to make possible a humanitarian evacuation of American citizens and their dependents. plus those Vietnamese nationals whose lives are in eminent and direct danger as a result of their efforts on our behalf. To place this in its proper context. let me state some interesting figures relating to U.S. aid for refugees in past years: Since 1970. the United States has provided $228.419.000 in assistance for Eastern European. Communist Chinese. Soviet Jews. and Palestinian refugee programs. these are direct aid programs. In addition. the United States has contributed $159.4 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees in the Middle East. Since 1961. we have spent $1.069 billion on refugees from communism in Cuba685 million alone since 1970. By my calculations. these figures indicate that since 1970. we have spent $1.072 billion on refugees somewhere in the world. and this is exclusive of our aid to Indochinese refugees. In this context. I cannot comprehend the reasoning of those who would deny funds for the evacuation and care of refugees who are our own citizens. whose first loyalty is to the United States. who have actively and directly served the U.S. interests in the midst of a hostile zone. How can we say that we will spend a billion dollars to aid foreign refugees. but not $77 million to rescue our own? How can we spend billions to support the peaceful emigration and resettlement of hundreds of thousands of foreigners. and not spend this money to remove loyal Americans from a situation which directly endangers their lives? Mr. Speaker. as I said on this floor yesterday. we have some pretty important decisions to make. and to make quickly.
Keywords matched
emigration refugee refugees