Speech #960205027

Mr. Speaker. I shall not speak in length on the technicalities of the refugeehandling structure which is created by the bill. A great deal of work has been done on this. It Is good work. and I think fundamentally a good structure has been set up to handle our refugee problem. But I do wish to address myself to one area. one subject matter in particular. and that is the shameful manner in which our National Government under this bill. will be addressing itself to the refugee problem. Mr. Speaker. refugees are a national commitment. We all derive great pride. great satisfaction. and a sort of feeling of grace. you might say. because we have seen these unfortunates in Southeast Asia who have been compelled to leave their homespeople who are hungry. people without clothing. people without medical care. and people with nowhere to turn. Q 1520 And as the ultimate good samaritan. the United States has said. "Send me i your poor." et cetera. "and I will wel- come them." Well. that is well and good. e and I am proud of it. too. because tradio tionally America is the land of people in need. people who are troubled and seek refuge. My own grandparents left Sweden and came here because of several things that they could not put up with in addition to poverty. But before we indulge in too big a feeling. too grand a feeling of satisfaction. before we look upon ourselves as being the ultimate humanitarians and with a sense of false pride say. "Look how well we have treated these poor people." let us evaluate what we have done. what we are doing. and what we intend to do. Our Nation. the National Government. has invited these refugees to America. And that is well and good. But before we break our arms by patting ourselves on our backs. let us look at what we have done with the cost. After all. bringing refugees here is one thing. paying for the cost of assimilating them is quite another thing. Under this bill our Federal Government says. "Send me all of your poor. send me your flotsam. send them to our shores. But once they are here. let us put the cost of supporting them on the backs of the local taxpayers." This is a Federal commitment.