Speech #960175475

Mr. Chairman. I find myself in a difficult position through the debate on this bill as I firmly believe the American people are generous. openhearted. and touched by the plight of refugees. and that we have responded generously. We are now committed to a largescale increase in the number of refugees admitted into the United States. But there are those who want that increase to be a permanent change in the American immigration law. rather than just to be a temporary response to the current Indochinese crisis. The United States already receives 400.000 immigrants every year. on top of the millions of illegal immigrants to the United States. In H.R. 2816 it is proposed that the ceiling on refugees be increased from 17.400 per year to 50.000 per year. and that the President have the power to lift this ceiling at the beginning of every year to take more refugees. H.R. 2816 as a comprehensive policy can be made more responsible by recognizing a limit on admissions. We know that the American people have been willing to sacrifice and share without complaint. but with resettlement costs now reaching $1 billion per year. this burden cannot be compounded indefinitely. There will be amendments offered during the 5minute rule on this bill to require a public hearing to be held before the House and Senate Judiciary Committees when the 50.000peryear refugee limit is exceeded. That amendment should be adopted. Furthermore. a second amendment will be offered to put a sunset provision on the Presidents power to increase the refugee flow beyond the 50.000 per year effective in 1982. That amendment should be supported as well. Finally. I shall offer an amendment to tie the refugee quota with the normal nonrefugeeimmigrant quotas so that the nonrefugeeimmigrant quota would be reduced by 1 for every 2 refugees admitted above the 50.000peryear quota. This would mean that if we go to 70.000 refugees per year. the nonrefugeeimmigrant quotas would be reduced by 10.000. In my opinion. this will put pressure on the other countries of the world to accept their fair share of refugees for permanent resettlement that commitment has been lacking in the past. This amendment would notI repeat it would notreduce the number of refugees who would be admitted to our country but would tell other countries. particularly developed nations in the world. that if they want their citizens to be able to emigrate to the United States. they must accept refugees for resettlement so that the burden is not on the United States and its taxpayers alone. The plight of the refugee is. for the United States. just a part of a much larger concern: The flow of immigrants into this country. I hope that through the amendments to this bill which I have described. the American people can discharge our moral obligation toward the worlds homeless without shortchanging longstanding commitments to our people at home. Mr.