Speech #940057030

Mr. Chairman. to those Members who may be on the floor that were not on the floor when I spoke earlier on the rule. I would like to just take a short time to elaborate on an amendment that I will offer later. which is an amendment that would insure that any special programs. special assistance made available to South Vietnaiffese refugees for h..umanitarian assistance. would likewise be made available to other Americans in this great country now living under conditions of equivalent hardship. The idea here is that I want to make sure that we do not establish a double standard. As things now stand. if this bill and thc authorization passes exactly as it has been presented. it means in effect there is a national origins test. In other words. to qualify for the help. they have to be Vietnamese or possibly Cambodian. if there are any. but if they happen to be Americans in this country with equivalent problems. under this bill as it has been brought to us. they would not be eligible for this kind of special help. whatever it turns out to be. I think that kind of double standard is a mistake I want to make clear that we do need to assist the refugees. I want to do that as long as it is in the context of providing exactly the same help to the people in this country who have exactly the same needs. who happen not to be South Vietnamese. but happen to be Americans. I think that is the way to promqte the maximum amount of good will and humanitarian feeling.