Speech #960183298

Chairman. I rise in support of the amendment. This amendment would sunset the Presidents authority to admit 50.000 refugees after fiscal year 1982. and return at that time to the present level of refugees authorized to be admittedthat is. 17.400 normal flow refugees. annually. without consultation with the Congress. Mr. Chairman. the refugee population of the world today is staggeringsome estimate that there are 13 million potential refugees in the world todaythat is. persons fleeing from their home country based on a wellfounded fear of persecution because of race. religion. or political opinion. The United States continues to pay the price for our involvement in Indochina during the 1960s and 1970s by accepting 168.000 refugees from that area during fiscal year 1980. in addition to the 200.000plus we have accepted since the end of the war in May 1975. We have dealt with that refugee crisis on a somewhat ad hoc basis. We will be able to deal with refugee admissions on a more orderly basis after enactment of this legislation. However. as to the question of the numbers of refugees to be admitted. we should not be panicked into significant and permanent increases in the number of refugees which we agree to admit. During the last Congress. we enacted Public Law 95412. establishing a Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy to make legislative recommendations dealing with our overall immigration policy. One of the basic elements of this policy is one of numbers: How many immigrants. including refugees. can our country absorb? It would be folly to legislate a permanent change in the number of refugees to be admitted at a time when the Select Commission is just beginning its task. This amendment would acknowledge the present situation by authorizing a higher number of normal flow refugees50.000 annually which represents an almost 300percent increase over the present number authorized17.400 annually. This large increase would be in effect only until the end of fiscal year 1982. At that time. the number would revert back to the present 17.400. Two critical facts need to be considered. First. even after October 1982. the bill would allow for increases in the normal flow of refugees authorized. if the President so determines and the Congress is consulted. Second. by that time. the report of the Select Commission will have been filed for over 1 year and its legislative recommendations will have been submitted to the Congress. The Commissions report should be comprehensivedealing with all aspects of immigration policy. It will include specific recommendations regarding the numbers of immigrants which our country can successfully admit. including the number of refugees that we may wish to admit. After the Commissions report is the proper time to enact permanent changes in our immigration laws. This amendment. while allowing higher numbers of refugees to be admitted during the short run. would allow the Congress to reevaluate this decision as part of our overall immigration reform. Now is not the proper time to enact permanent changes in such a significant area of immigration law. My amendment would allow the Congress to reexamine the question of the number of refugees as part of the overall immigration reforms. I urge the adoption of this amendment.