Speech #960205039

It is virtually identical to the bill that originally passed and. passed the Senate unanimously. It emerged from conference virtually unscathed. Members who were at the conference who have I presume read the conference report have said this report rejects congressional control of the numbers of refugees coming into the United States. That is utter nonsense. This bill does more than we have ever done before in terms of allowing the Congress a role in deciding who will come. how many will come and from what countries they will come. Furthermore. to say that this bill is going to cost the taxpayers $90 million more than the bill that originally passed the House with respect to the Cuban refugees. is just plain wrong. This bill will actually cost $24 million less. The phaseout of the Cuban refugee program over a period of 4 years is cheaper than having the program operate at a 100 percent level for the next year and a half. To say that it creates some sort of entitlement for refugees all over the world to come to the United States is completely erroneous and in no way characterize what this conference report does. I think it is important. as I summarize the conference report. to put in perspective what we have done. We have created a mechanism for the first time to allow the entry of refugees into this country. We have created a system for congressional input and congressional hearings and congressional scrutiny over the numbers. We have sunset certain provisions after 3 years. so Congress will have the opportunity to review the program and to determine what numbers should be allowed to come to this country. Without this bill. we will be forced back into a disorderly situation with ad hoc responses to a problem that is serious. 0l 1550 Report after report has shown serious problems with the resettlement of refugees. This bill. for the first time. creates a systematic approach to the resettlement of refugees. If we do not have this bill. we are going to be wasting taxpayers dollars. We do not have any system for monitoring existing programs. The gentleman from California talked about the enormous burden on the States. Right now the States have no role whatsoever to play in the decision as to where the refugees are to be resettled. For the first time this bill gives the States a role in this decisionmaking process.