Speech #940058882

Mr. President. I rise to express my complete support for S. 1661. the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1975. now pending before the Senate. This legislation authorizes $405 million in emergency assistance for the transportation. temporary maintenance. and resettlement of Vietnam and Cambodian refugees. In its report on the bill. the Committee on Foreign Relations expressed the following comment: one of the great strengths of this country is the diversity of its people. It is a nation of refugees. It is fitting that Congress is considering legislation to assist refugees in resettling in the United States as we approach the bicentennial of our nations birth. Help to those who fled from Indochina is in the finest tradition of America. There is no better way for Americans to reaffirm what this country stands for than to give them a warm and friendly welcome. Mr. President. I fully concur with the sentiments of the committee: There is no better way for Americans to reaffirm what this country stands for than to give the Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees a warm and friendly welcome. The Senate can begin by giving Its overwhelming support to the measure now before us. As the ranking Republican member on the Judiciary Committees Subcommittee on Refugees and Escapees. I have been following this problem very closely. The subcommittee has held numerous hearings on the plight of the refugees and subcommittee members have been kept abreast of developments by Ambassador L. Dean Brown. Assistant Secretary of State Philip C. Habib. Commissioner Leonard F. Chapman. of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. and other members of the administration. According to Ambassador Brown. the administration estimates that a total of 130.000 refugees will eventually be brought to the United States and an additional 10.000 to 15.000 will be settled in third countries. As of May 12. there were approximately 115.000 refugees under United States protectionall but about 1.000 to 1.200 of them Vietnamese. Mr. President. I want to pay tribute to the Defense Department and the State Department Task Force for their diligent efforts to evacuate the refugees safely. I know they and many other people have been working around the clock on this humanitarian project. Initial costs of the evacuation and basic needs of the refugees have been met by use of $98.000.000 in funds originally provided for economic aid to Indochina. Those funds have been used to reimburse the Department of Defense for sealift and airlift and basic facilities at the staging and processing centers. I and other members of the Refugee Subcommittee were assured that the voluntary agenciesthose primarily responsible for resettlementwill make every effort to disperse the refugees throughout the United States. Sponsors for the refugees include individuals. families. parishes. and community organizations. By becoming a sponsor. these individuals and groups take on the moral obligation of receiving the refugees and their families and to find housing. employment. and educational opportunities for them. I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the many voluntary agencies that have offered to assist and are standing by for Congress to do its part in providing the necessary funds. Mr. President. although the committee recommended an authorization of $405.000.000-$102 million below the administrations request of $507 millionit indicated its willingness to consider further funding should the need arise. We should all realize the cost figures and the estimates of numbers of refugees are quite tentative at this time. Further funds may indeed be needed. By giving our full support to the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1975. the Senate will be taking another step to reaffirm the proud fact that America is a nation of Immigrants and refugees and welcomes her newest arrivals. I am confident that Vietnamese and Cambodian refugeeslike all their predecessor immigrantswill contribute much to the further development and growth of America. Except for a small number of Americans who can claim the distinction of being descendants of the native Indians. all the rest of us can trace our heritage back to descendants who were immigrants or refugees to this great land of freedom and opportunity. Long before we became a Nation. the British settlers at Jamestown had already been joined by much welcomed immigrants from all parts of the old world. Yes. Mr.