Mr. Chairman this amendment insures that the Congress has a proper and substantive role in the determination of the immigration policy of the Nation. Under the bill. we plate a 50.000 per fiscal year limit on refugees entering this country unless the President decides to bring in additional refugees. The bill does provide for consultation on the additional refuges but should a majority in the Congress feel that the President is taking an unwise or unreasonable step. the Congress. under the bill as presently written. has no opportunity to make a correction. The consultation language is really illusory. The bill. as reported. lets a few members of one committee determine policies that will have a profound effect on all of our districts. My amendment permits either House of Congress the opportunity to disapprove a Presidential determination to bring in more refugees than 50.000 per fiscal year. The veto would not apply to an emergency determination set forth in section 207(b). This amendment applies only to a foreseeable influx of refugees. In this case. I believe it is entirely proper for the Congress to ultimately approve or disapprove an influx of refugees in excess of 50.000 per fiscal year because of serious foreign and domestic policy implications. The issue here is whether the Congress will have a substantive role in immigration policy or whether we will delegate this responsibility to the executive branch. We in the Congress will have to deal with the socioeconomic impacts of this bill. We will have to deal with overloaded school systems and medical clinics. scarce housing facilities. and rising welfare expenditures in our local communities.
Keywords matched
immigration refugees