Speech #940062942

Speaker. I voted "present" on H.R. 6755. the Vietnamese Resettlement Act. as a final protest to a war I have opposed since 1963. My final protest was necessary because this bill forced Congress into the dilemma of either treating Vietnamese refugees better than we treat many of our own needy citizens or being accused of a lack of compassion. It was an intolerable situation created by an intolerable war. I object to the fact that under the bill Congress was forced to vote an authorization of over a half billion dollars and an appropriation of over $400 million for an open ended resettlement program. when at the same time we cannot finance needed domestic programs for our own people. Had the Riegle amendment. which would have given Americans in similar straits equal treatment to that provided for the refugees. been adopted. I could have supported the refugee bill. Without the Riegle amendment. the refugees will receive higher levels of benefits than many of our needy citizens. and American taxpayers will continue to pay for the results of a discredited war policy which for years fed them misleading information and often outright falsehoods. The defeat of the Riegle amendment made a "yes" vote on the refugee bill unacceptable to me. while a "no" vote. since it could be interpreted as indifference toward some decent people in need. also was unacceptable to one who has consistently fought for a more humane society. I welcome opening our national doors to people who. through no fault of their own. would face political or religious persecution had they remained in their homeland. To do otherwise would be contrary to our national heritage. But the emergency waiving of all immigration laws for the Vietnamese makes it difficult to separate this type of refugee from the black marketeers and the war criminals. Additionally. the refugee situation is bluned by Ambassador Graham Martins ill advised policy of keeping Americans in Saigon until the last minute while promoting the panic evacuation of thousands of Vietnamese. most of whom would have suffered no reprisal had they stayed at home. and many of whom are now homesick and disheartened. Because of Martins policy. American taxpayers now are forced to foot the transportation bill not tnly for the legitimate refugees. but also for the likes of Lon Nol. President Thieu. and former Premier Ky. all of whom personally profitted from the waralso at the expense of the American taxpayer. If John Foster Dulles had not sabotaged the Geneva Accords in 1954. which ended the FrenchIndochina War. and if the elections promised under those accords had been held. the results would have been the same as they are todaysupporters of Ho Chi Minh would govern a united Vietnam and we would not have been faced with this problem in 1976.