Speech #940056866

On this occasion. we have an opportunity to transmit into legislative form one of the finest traditions. one of the finest characteristics of the American people. that of humanity and goodness. The chairman of the full committee mentioned that this was not brought to us in haste. even though the measure was only introduced on the 7th of this month. The fact is. our subcommittee had oversight jurisdiction over the evacuation. and subsequently the refugee movements. for the past 5 weeks. and have been in innumerable consultations with the interagency Committee set up in the administration. We were familiar with the issue3 when the matter came before us this past week. I should also note the bipartisan nature of this matter. in each and every category of refugee where parole was requested of the Attorney General. two Republicans and two Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee and a like number. equally bipartisan in the Senate. approved the granting of parole under the practice of being consulted by the Attorney General. This bill also has the support of the Republican Policy Committee and was reported out of our subcommittee unanimously. Not only did our subcommittee do its work well. but I think the Members would be interested to know that in our numerous briefings. both informal and formal hearings with the Interagency task force. we also had an input into the conduct of their authority in the movement of refugees. Examples are the screening of undesirables. and the ascertaining of the financial status of refugees so that refugees of means leaving areas such as Camp Pendleton. will be on their own financially. One should also compliment the Interagency Task Force. a real model of cooperative governmental effort put together under emergency conditions. having to deal with highly unusual. complex matters. and I think they have comported themselves with great credit to our country under difficult times. The matter of urgency has been mentioned. and I would like to underscore the urgency. For every day the Congress does not act to provide the funds for the resettlement of these refugees currently in the United States or enroute here. we have a problem of casting the entire financial burden on the voluntary agencies. some nine agencies. with a long history of involvement in Southeast Asia. who have undertaken the responsibility of the processing centers in the United States and the movement of these people in their final resettlement. The estimates in our bill called for $600 per refugee to be paid to the voluntary agency. I think it is important to note that this is less than onehalf of what the voluntary agency will actually spend on each refugee. Presently there is no money in any account in the Federal Government that can reimburse the voluntary agencies that are currently expending their own money on this responsibility. I might add that we are in the rainy season on Guam. We are approaching the typhoon season. It could come any day now. Guam is at absolute capacity. with 50.000 refugees. It cannot absorb any more that are off the shore in ships and are being retained there because of the lack of funds and because of the slowness in processing. The facilities are not the kind of facilities you and I would like to be in during the typhoon season. I should also say that your subcommittee and the full committee fully explored many of the issues that will be inquired into this afternoon. For example. the impact on employment in the United States. the dispersal thinly of these refugees who already. I am pleased to announce. have been resettled in 48 States of our Nation. We explored the possibility of cooperation with other nations. with disappointing results. but an effort was made with over 100 other nations to seek their help in resettlement. We also went into great detail on the impact of refugees needing social services in State and local governments in terms of health. in terms of welfare. and in terms of education. There have been some newspaper accounts of dissatisfaction. of unhappiness. on the part of some of the refugees. I think the committee would be interested in the figures that are current as this morning. Of those refugees who have expressed a desire to be repatriated. in Guam. 45 who were inadvertently herded onto transport planes by Thai soldiers that they happened to get in the way of at the time refugees were being boarded. in overcrowded conditions. onto planes. Another group in Guam. three fishermen who were picked up by our Navy but who were not out seeking asylum. but who were merely fishing. In addition to that. in the United States some 15 to 25 South Vietnamese soldiers who were in this country totally unrelated to the refugee issue. and are currently assisting our efforts in the processing centers of the United States. may well ask to go home to their families. In addition to those few hard figures. there are the nonrefugees who are in the United States as students. as businessmen. as diplomats. that we have not yet heard from. But I can assure the committee that through Vietnamese language newspapers at Pendleton. through a Vietnamese language radio at Pendleton. every effort is being made to broadcast publicly to the refugees that they have the option. if they wish. to return to Vietnam.