Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of H.R. 6755. the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act. As you may recall. I was among those who spoke in opposition to H.R. 6096. the Vietnam Humanitarian Assistance and Evacuation Act. Regrettably. some have interpreted opposition to H.R. 6096 as a manifestation of hostility toward the Vietnamese refugees. This certainly was not my reason for opposing the bill. I viewed the proposal as an unworkable measure. In fact. we should note in retrospect. that the funding provisions in H.R. 6096 would not have been sufficient to accomplish the evacuation and resettlement of Vietnamese refugees. Mr. Chairman. like the speaker who preceded me in the well. I opposed our military involvement in Indochina. Yet. this does not erase the fact that many Vietnamese have had to flee their homeland in fear of retribution and possible loss of life because of their support of U.S. policy in Vietnam. Nevertheless. many of our citizens have expressed their concern about the economic impact of this mass immigration to the United States. This factor is far outweighed by the spirit of freedom that America has retained since colonial times. Our shores have always been a refuge for the politically and religiously oppressed. Most of us are in America today because our forefathers sought to escape oppression abroad. and it is my hope that our citizens will accept these refugees today. just as previous generations have assisted the victims of earlier oppressions. The American economy is strong enough to support these Vietnamese. Congress. in passing H.R. 6755. can provide the funds needed for an orderly integration of the refugees into our society. In my opinion. failure to pass a measure granting assistance would. in effect. be turning our backs on our heritage.
Keywords matched
Refugee immigration refugees