Speech #940057020

I have had mixed emotions about this legislation from the beginning. I have attended a number of meetings concerning this matter. in trying to put this entire matter into what I consider proper perspective. I would say at the outset that my mail at first was running 5 to 1. and now it is running about 5 to 2 against. 5 to 2 against the United States assimilating these refugees from Southeast Asia. In discussing this with other people. and I am not a member of the Committee on the Judiciary. I find that there are roughly 125.000 refugees that have come into our custody. Of these only about 35.000 are considered to be heads of households. and that among this group we have either well educated or more highly educated people. the majority of whom speak the English language. and I further found that about 60 percent of this group are children. The letters that I have been receiving In opposition to this overall assimilation of these people are based primarily on the idea that we have many. many welfare problems in this Nation. that we have too many people who are getting food stamps. and we have too many people who are unemployed. so that these people are logically concerned with whether or not these people would come into our country and take the jobs away from these people who are presently unemployed. and who would like to be employed.