Speech #960244200

Mr. Speaker. I hope as many Members as possible will stay on the floor and participate in this discussion which relates to the subject of Cuban refugees. This is something of national concern. it is something which we hear a great deal about in our offices. It is something that it seems to me the Congress of the United States must respond to in some kind of a forthright way and I think we should get a message to the people and to the executive branch of this Government as to what we feel a sound and a sensible and a logical and a rational imigration and refugee policy must be. Mr. Speaker. the arrival in the United States of more than 100.000 Cuban nationals during the first 7 or 8 weeks has produced a nationwide protest which requires prompt and decisive action by the Congress. By his actionsin disregard of the immigration and refugee laws which have been enacted by the Congress of the United Statesthe President has created the massive social. economic and political problems for our Nation which could and should have been avoided. The President knowsat least he knew in Aprilwhen I received a telephone call from the White House while attending a meeting of the Interparliamentary Union in Olso. Norway. that for him to increase the number of refugees to be admitted to this country. the law requires consultation with the chairmen and ranking minority members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. and ultimately with the full membership of these two committees. The President did consult regarding his decision to admit 3.500 of the 10.000 Cuban nationals who had taken refuge or who has sought asylum in the Peruvian Embassy in Havana. When I spoke on the phone with Ambassador Frank E. Loy. the Deputy Coordinator for Refugee Affairs serving in the White House. I told him that. on the basis of humane and traditional compassionate considerations which typified our country. that I would acquiesce in the Presidents decision to admit these 3.500 Cubans. but I added "no more." I reported to Ambassador Loy that the attitude of my congressional colleagues who were in attendance at the IPU meeting in Oslo was in opposition to increase the numbers beyond the 3.500 over and above the 50.000 refugees established by the Immigration and Refugee Act of 1980. This warning on my part may help explain why President Carter decided against any further consultation. He knew. or should have known. that those with whom the statute required him to consult would have opposed any large scale acceptance of Cuban nationals. However. his decision. made without such consultation. I regard as being in violation of the letter and the spirit of the 1980 Immigration and Refugee Act Amendments. Let me add further that I reject the authority of the President to make unilateral decision regarding the admission of refugees or asylees into this country independent of the consultation process specified in the law. Some of you will recall that I offered an amendment to the recently enacted rexugee and immigration law which would have required approval by the House and Senate Judiciary Committees before the President would be permitted to increase the number of refugees to be admitted about the 50.000 figure set forth specifically in the new law. Let me point out further that more than 100.000 additional refugeesnot counting the 3.500 Cubans in the Peruvain Embassy in Havanahave come to our shores with the blessing. if not at the express invitation of President Carterwithout any semblance of consultation as required by the immigration and refugee law amendments. One excuse which was given for this mass immigration of Cuban nationals to our shores is that the Presidents decision was necessary in order to prevent violent disorders in Miami in the Cuban American community. This disruption came a few days laternot because of the Cuban American section of Miamibut. instead. in a part of Miami where there is a predominantly black population and where at least some blacks were attributing their lack of jobs and economic opportunity to the virtual uncontrolled arrival of Cubans into the Miami area. The President has sought to excuse or justify this mass immigration of Cuban nationals on the grounds that life is so unbearable under Premier Fidel Castro that his people are fleeing from communism and presecution to the freedom and opportunity of our shores. He seeks to explain the Cuban refugee crisis as a great propaganda victory for the United States. He cites the many setbacks which Castro has experienced and regards the exodus of tens of thousands of Cubans from their homeland as a further propaganda defeat for Premier Castro. Americans and many Members of this body have a totally different view. It is my personal feeling that Premier Castro has been enjoying these recent weeks as he has shipped tens of thousands of Cuban undesirables to our shoresfor us to look after. Let me call attention to the fact that at our recent Judiciary Subcommittee hearing a former inmate of a large Cuban jail testified that of the approximate 5.000 inmates with whom he was serving. all were given the opportunity for release from jail provided they would emigrate to the United States. He estimated that 4.000 agreed to this offer. were loaded on buses. herded to Mariel Harbor. forced at gunpoint onto waiting boats. and transported to Key West. While the Immigration and Naturalization Service has identified only about 700 criminals. this convicts testimony indicates that the figure should be more like 4.000or more. Let me add that there are other estimated thousands of retarded. prostitutes. diseased and dependent Cubans who need urgent and longterm care. The disorders that have occurred already on the part of the socalled refugees indicates that their demands will be for welfare. food stamps. and all kinds of benefits which are in short supply even for our own citizensbut which they will now demand as a reward for arriving here and remaining with us. This does not even take into consideration the effect which such ablebodied Cuban nationals may have on the job marketwhere literally millions of Americans are seeking work only to find that they now have new competition for the limited number of jobs from these recent arrivals from Cuba who are here because of President Carters policy of "open arms and open hearts." A poll taken just a few days ago shows the American reaction to President Carters policy of allowing this huge entry of Cuban nationals into the United States. Mr. Speaker. the thoughtless and confusing actions of the President as evidenced in the Cuban refugee fiasco reveal a basic deficiency in the exercise of his Executive authority. By his lack of qualities of Executive leadership. the President creates problems for himself. his staff. and the entry country. This is brought out convincingly in a recent article by Joseph C.