Speech #960300382

In April. as rumors began to circulate that Fort Chaffee might be used to process Cubans who had entered this country illegally. I was in touch on several occasions with administration officials to make known to them the opposition of the local community to any such action. I pointed out to these officials that Fort Chaffee had previously been used to process nearly 50.000 Vietnamese refugees and that the equitable thing to do would be to select a facility which had not previously been involved in any such operation. It should be noted at this point that the local people who lived in the vicinity of Fort Chaffee. as well as government officials at local through State level. had been very receptive and supportive of the Vietnamese refugees when they were being processed at that installation. However. the general feeling was that it was time "to share the wealth." In early May President Carter announced that he had selected Fort Chaffee. which is in my congressional district. to serve as a processing center for those Cubans who were fleeing their native land. Since that time local citizens have been subjected to one after another glaring example of Government ineptitude. broken promises from the highest level. as well as arrogant disregard of the rights and wishes of the local populace.