Speech #940056741

Mr. DANTE FASCELL. and the concerns he expressed about the problem just recently under discussion. and I support him fully. But if I could have the attention of my colleagues in the House right now. once we pass this rule and get to the refugee assistance as a whole. I am going to be offering an amendment today which I think is a very important one. I take a minute now to speak about it. There is no question but that this country has an obligation to do what it can now to resettle the South Vietnamese refugees. My concern is that we also have a very large number of people in the United States who might be called American refugees. who are themselves in situations of extreme economic hardship and deprivation through no fault of their own. and they are in all age groups and levels and every congressional district. There are a great many of them in my congressional district. My amendment would propose to expand this humanitarian refugee program so that any benefits which are made available to the South Vietnamese nationals have to be made available equally to American citizens who meet the same tests of economic hardship and personal circumstance. In other words. it would be to say that. we are not going to have a double standard. we are not going to treat one group in one way and another group in another way. people who have the same problems will be treated in different ways. but instead. we will have to have programs that step up to the problems of all persons in this country who have a problem of dire economic consequence that they are unable to meet by themselves. This to me will be a test. really. of how deeply this humanitarian impulse runs within the President and this administration and also within the Congress. So my proposal is to see to it that people in America who suffer equal hardship receive equal treatment. something. I think. which is just and sound. If we really want to see this country of ours accept and assimilate the South Vietnamese refugees. I think the best way to accomplish that is to say we are not going to have two kinds of treatment or a double standard but. in fact. that the benefit programs will be made available equally to people in our own society who desperately need help. We can see to it that they receive the same kind of help.