Speech #960246283

Mr. President. in January 1980 the U.S. Conference of Mayors released an informal telephone survey of 12 metropolitan areas which gathered information about local experiences and difficulties related to the influx of Indochinese refugees. This survey concluded that "municipal governments are being severely impacted by and bear the financial burden of the national policy to admit Indochinese refugees at a rate of 14.000 per month." The multitude of problems being generated by this unprecedented flow of refugees are both economic and social in nature. The natural response of these governments is to look to the Federal Government which created this problem for more money. On June 7. the Conference of Mayors will consider a a resolution which "urges the Federal Government to provide assistance to State and local governments to alleviate the problems arising from the influx of Cuban refugees and Haitian immigrants." While municipal governments must be provided adequate funds to deal with the many problems generated by the increased refugee flow. this is not the ultimate solution to the problem. The United States must regain control of its immigration policy by establishing a total immigraton level that is both reasonable and compassionate. Unless we take this step. domestic assistance programs will suffer as a result of our efforts to balance the budget. Because of the budget constraints we will be operating under. there is no way that the refugee program can continue to grow as it is without taking this money out of domestic programs. As an example of what we are facing. the administration has just revealed that an additional $400 million will be needed in the remaining 4 months of fiscal year 1980 to meet the immediate needs of the 100.000 Cuban arrivals. If these people are given refugee status by the administration. substantial additional funds will be needed. I ask that the "Survey of City Officials on the Impact of the Indochinese Refugees on Their Communities" be printed in the RECORD.