Mr. President. I am today introducing a bill which will provide initial. humanitarian assistance for the Vietnamese refugees in this country. without costing the American taxpayer additional funds. Let me indicate at the outset of my remarks that I do not believe this bill will be sufficient to meet the total needs of these people. but it will provide assistance while Congress debates the question of additional aid. This legislation provides that unobligated funds authorized and appropriated by Congress for military purposes in South Vietnam in this fiscal year. will immediately be made available to the President for the humanitarian assistance of those who fled that country. I have been told that $17 million of appropriated funds for the military assistance program to South Vietnam remains unobligated. This $17 million can be put to immediate use to aid these refugees. In addition. it is estimated that from between $100 and $130 million remains in the pipeline. It is not known what percentage of these funds are retrievable. but the Department of Defense is working now to compile that information. and to restore these funds to the Treasury. I am told that precise figures will be forthcoming. There is. then. the potential of $147 million that can be made available if this legislation passes Congress. Even should the available funds be substantially less than is hoped. those that are retrievable will substantially ease the plight of the refugees while debate continues in Congress over the $507 million request by President Ford. Again I stress that this bill provides no further expenditure of funds beyond that which the Congress has already allowed. Given the lack of money now available for the relief of these refugees. and given the dangerous delays that may occur as Congress debates added assistance. I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation with every haste. Let me make a further observation. Mr. President. I have been carefully watching in recent weeks the national reaction against providing additional assistance for the 120.000 refugees who have come to American shores from the desolation of Vietnam. and I am saddened by that reaction. The nightmare of that agonizing war will apparently not leave us. nor will the hate that it spawned be easily extinguished. The war in Vietnam has nurtured a fear and desperation of its own. which now threatens to consume us.
Keywords matched
refugees