Speech #940058922

The committee recognized that in this situation delay could well mean disaster. Over 100.000 lives would be held in suspension. Weary refugees. whose lives had been shattered. would have had to wait countless hours before they could begin the painstaking process of piecing their lives back to together. The committee. therefore. determined to report out a bill which reflected the soundest judgments it could make as to the needs of the refugees. The committee has not accepted the present estimates as final. It recognizes that they may change considerably over the next few months. Accordingly. the committee has directed that the General Accounting Office carefully monitor obligations and expenditures under this program and periodically report their findings to the committee. By its actions the committee sought to take responsible steps in a period of uncertainty. It therefore proposed an amendment which had the intent of insuring that none of the funds appropriated in this bill could be used by the Department of Defense for purposes other than direct assistance to the refugees. In the interval of time which has passed since the committee considered this bill. I have received written assurances from the Secretary of Defense that the Department of Defense will request reimbursement for only those costs which are in excess of normal operations.