Speech #960146305

I wish to say at the outset that the legislative agenda for today incorrectly describes my amendment as providing a 5 year extension of the Indochina refugee assistance program. It is only for 2 years. Our amendment extends until September 30. 1981 the authority provided in the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1975 to reimburse State and local public agencies in full for cash and medical assistance furnished to refugees from Vietnam. Laos. and Cambodia. The present authorization for the Indochina refugee assistance program expired on October 1 this year. The IRAP program currently is being continued under the authority of House Joint Resolution 412. The Senate on September 6 approved Senate 643. the Refugee Act of 1979. which established a new refugee assistance program to replace the Indochina refugee assistance program and other similar refugee assistance programs. The Refugee Act of 1979. however. has yet to be considered by the House of Representatives. In the meantime. the authority for IRAP has expired and States and local public agencies are in considerable doubt as to whether the nonFederal share of cash and medical assistance provided to refugees will continue to be reimbursed. Approval and enactment of the CranstonHayakawa amendment will not displace the new refugee assistance program provided in S. 643 should that bill be enacted. S. 643. by its terms. will have the effect of folding the IRAP program into the new refugee assistance program. Thus. the net effect and the purpose of the CranstonHayakawa amendment is to assure certainty in funding for the current IRAP program until Congress resolves the issues involved in the Refugee Act of 1979. The cost of the CranstonHayakawa amendment is less than the cost of the new refugee program authorized in S. The costs of our amendment will be $320.8 million in the current fiscal year and $441.9 million in fiscal year 1981. Budget authority for refugee assistance already has been approved by the Senate in S. 643. Since the amendment I am offering would be superseded by S. 643. if that bill is enacted. the amendment has no effect on the current congressional budget. Mr. President. the need for strengthened refugee assistance programs has been studied carefully by the the Human Resources Committee and Health Committee of the California Assembly. I ask unanimous consent that the recommendings and findings of these two California legislative committees be printed in the RECORD at the conclusion of my remarks.