Mr. President. the recent evacuation of the Vietnamese refugees has created much concern in the United States. There appears to be two schools of thought regarding these Vietnamese refugees. First. many of our citizens feel that we have a moral obligation to care for and relocate these unfortunate people. On the other hand. a number of Americans feel the United States should not assume the entire burden of caring for the Vietnamese refugees when the economic situation for our own people is so uncertain. In order to offer a compromise between these positions. I am today introducing two bills which would modify our existing immigration laws. Basically. my approach is to either reduce or to temporarily halt immigration to our country to facilitate the orderly absorption of the Vietnamese refugees. The first bill which I am introducing will establish a 1year moratorium on immigration beginning on the date of enactment. The second bill will provide for a permanent 20percent reduction in the number of immigrants allowed to come into the United States during a fiscal year. Mr. President. I feel that either of these bills offers a position that is acceptable to all concerned. To the first group. it would be evident from this legislation that we are compassionate and sensitive to the refugees. and that we wish to care for those who would have been slaughtered at the hands of the Communists. To the other group. this legislation would show that the United States recognizes the problem of accepting these refugees with all of its longrange ramifications. The American people are aware that the Vietnamese refugees need our assistance. but the American people are also aware that we must limit the number of immigrants entering this country so that we can adequately absorb these refugees. It is in this spirit that I introduce these two pieces of legislation. Therefore.
Keywords matched
immigration immigrants refugees