Speech #960253469

More than 10 million square feet of warehouses exist in the District of Columbia area alone and there are 78 warehouses in Washington filled with furniture. This measure would rescind $100 million in GSA furniture purchasing authority for fiscal year 1980. increase by $42 million our foodforpeace commitment abroad and return $58 million to the Treasury The foodforpeace program will thus be brought to near the original budget request. Thus food will be shipped to Somalia in greater quantity. where 25 percent of the worlds refugees are now located in abysmal conditions. and to Pakistan. which is absorbing the refugees fleeing the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This amendment is a furnitureforfood measure. It gives the Government agencies time to inventory their furniture holdings and solve their furniture mismanagement problems. It gives food to hungry refugees abroad. It puts money back in the Treasury to help the beleaguered U.S. taxpayer. The Members should also keep in mind that the number of refugees is growing. Our practical. humanitarian efforts on behalf of these refugees are truly needed. Mr. Chairman. I would like to point out to the Members that I for one have confidence that the administrators of the GSA have enough talent to handle the responsibilities imposed on them by this amendment. Certainly they have a surplus to work with. and within that surplus of equipment. and the talent they have shown for mismanagement. they could show a talent to meet the priorities set by this amendment. But the important thing I would like to stress to the Members is that refugee problems are not diminishing. There are reports of potential Soviet militarydirected activity in the Ogaden Desert. That will add to the number of refugees in Somalia. The increased activity in Afghanistan is going to mean an increased flow of refugees out of that country and into Pakistan. We have political unrest in Kampuchea and a growing problem in Uganda. The world refugee problem. which presently is in record numbers. will certainly grow. We may be called upon in the months ahead to take further steps to increase the foodforpeace fund just because of the dire problem besetting the world refugee areas. So. I point out to my colleagues the real seriousness of this worldwide refugee problem.