Speech #960106069

Mr. President. this amendment brings the refugee assistance authorization into conformity with the 6year phaseout compromise which was adopted in the 1978 LaborHEW appropriations bill. This compromise has passed the Senate in each of the last 3 years. Since 2 years of the phasedown have already passed. this amendment only deals with the 3 years of 1980 to Cuban refugee assistance is currently funded on an openended basis under the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962. The bill reported by the Judiciary Committee provides 2 years of funding for refugees newly entering the country. Unfortunately. it would abruptly terminate the funding of the Cuban refugee program. Appropriations for the Cuban program have already been reduced from a peak of $145 million in 1973. down to $53 million in the 1980 conference report. The Appropriations Committee has worked out an orderly phase down. and I believe we ought to keep that compromise. which has been accepted by both the House and the administration. The administration bill provided a total exemption for current Cuban refugees from the 2year limit. This amendment is therefore tighter than the administration proposal. and reduces the phase down by 1 year. Mr. President. most people are not familiar with the important facts and figures about the Cuban refugee assistance program. Since 1959. approximately 700.000 Cubans have come to the United States. To give you an idea of what that means. that is more people than live in the city of Boston. Almost 500.000 of the Cubans have ended up in Dade County. Fla. That is a level of impact far beyond any other refugee group affected by this legislation. Most people are not aware that we airlifted Cubans to the United States as recently as 1974. when an additional 5.000 Cubans came to Florida. While the Cuban community has been a major asset to Dade County. the large influx also has imposed many costs. Our schools must be truly bilingual for all students. A disproportionate number of the refugees were elderly and disabled. who were pushed out of Cuba. That is why we find that while only 25 percent of Dade Countys population is Cuban. a full twothirds of Dade Countys SSI population is Cuban. To get SSI. you must be both poor and either elderly or disabled.