Speech #940056920

I support this bill in principle. There are one or two points. though. which I hope someone will bring out and clarify. since they concern me greatly. The gentleman from California . pointed out a while ago that when the Cuban refugee situation commenced in 1959 or 1960. we talked about $35 million and possibly 50.000 refugees. That has wound up to 670.000 refugees and about $1 billionthat is bil1ion. In this situation we are talking about 130.000 refugees and perhaps $407 million. I do not quarrel with that. and I shall vote for it. However. I want to point out that this bill has a builtin cutoff date of September 30. 1977. which is 2 years from now. During that period. the Federal Government is to pay the cost of local resettlement. training for employment. health. social services. the essentials of life. income. maintenance andI presumeeducation on behalf of these refugees. The gentleman from Maryland pointed out that 45 percent are believed to be under the age of 16 years. To me. that immediately signals that we will have a very high education cost for the younger members of this refugee group. The education of students -in primary grades in California today is about $1.400 per capita per year. I should like to know. is there any provision in this law. which I do not find. which will guarantee that the Federal Government. which is the host government for a11 of these refugees. rather than the local units of government or local school districts or local cities. will bear the burden of meeting those costs after September 30. 1977. goes by? We are talking about an awful lot of hundreds of millions of dollars. my fellow Members of this Congress. and I would like to know this: After September 30. 1977. who is gcing to pay the bill for education and the essentials of life and the rest? My own school districts are very heavily burdened. I am sure they will receive their fair share of these refugees and will do so with open arms. but I feel it should be the burden of the Federal Government to pay the cost. at least the ccst of education. after the time of Mr. Chairman. my time has about expired. but I invite a response from whomever is able to make one.