President. I rise to express my support for the amendment introduced by the Senator from Mississippi. Ours is a nation of immigrants. The ancestors of most Americans. including myself. came to America seeking freedom and opportunity. and they found both. It is important that we maintain our historic tradition of offering refuge to the politically oppressed. At the same time. the United States must develop and maintain a balanced national policy that permits immigration at reasonable levels and that takes into account the effect of such immigration on its citizens. In weighing that balance. the needs of our citizens must come first. This amendment urges the President to seek international cooperation in resolving the immediate problems caused by the recent exodus of emmigrants from Cuba. It is unrealistic to assume that any one nation should assume the burdens of all people fleeing political and economic oppression. As has occurred in the past. the community of nations should collectively resolve such refugee problems as this one. International efforts have in the past proven successful in helping refugees around the world to resettle. the Geneva conference on refugees fleeing Southeast Asia being one recent example. As the amendment indicates. the United States should again call upon the community of nations to lend their assistance to this immediate problem. It is equally important that international cooperation continue in order to avoid other refugee problems in the future. Mr. President.
Keywords matched
immigration immigrants refugee refugees