Mr. Chairman. the bill we have before us today provides humanitarian relief for refugees who have fled their homeland to avoid living under repression from invaders. It is proper and fitting. in our American tradition that we provide adequate funds to assist in resettlement of these people who seek a new life on our shores. There has been considerable comment regarding the refugees. We have passed the point of decision as to whether or not they are coming. The issue now is how we will meet this responsibility. I cannot see why our great country will have difficulty in assimilating them into our population. We are a nation of immigrants. The estimated 130.000 persons involved are less than onethird of the 450.000 immigrants we accept every year. Many of the Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees are dependants. and will not be immediately entering the job market. There are an estimated 35.000 who will be seeking employment. This represents .0004 percent of our more than ninety million civilian work force in this Nation. Special efforts will be made to avoid resettlement in areas of high unemployment. H.R. 6755 establishes a temporary program through 1977 to bring in refugees and care for them while they are being resettled here. and in other countries. Much of the responsibility for these victims of war has been assumed by traditional volunteer groups in the United States. It is right that the Federal Government recognize and meet its humanitarian commitmentand the Congress should accept its responsibilities and pass this bill that symbolizes the heritage we have built in this Nation over 200 years as a haven for those seeking freedom and opportunity. We should not set up special barriers. conditions. oaths. job requirements for these people. We should. and will enforce existing regulations that apply to aliens entering our country. H.R. 6755. and its accompanying appropriations measure should be passed so that we can get on with the job of caring for these refugees.
Keywords matched
immigrants refugees