Speech #970019290

Similarly. we should not overlook the potential disaster that exists in Poland. If the shaky truce between the beleaguered Polish Government and the free union movement Solidarity blows apart. the international repercussions are difficult to gage. It is not incomprehensible that a substantial influx of Polish refugees into the United States might occur. similar to the 1956 Hungarian episode. especially if there is direct Soviet military intervention. Unfortunately. as a result of piecemeal attempts to cope with these problems as they arise. we have created a hodgepodge of refugee education assistance programs which are confusing. duplicative and indicative of shortsighted legislative responses. For example. on education of refugees we have created at least five legislative alternatives. four of which are under the jurisdiction of the Education and Labor Committee: Impact aid. Indochina Refugee Children Assistance Act. discretionary grants under ESEA title III. the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980. and title III of the Refugee Act of 1980. Because Qf the international events which I described above and because of the opportunity created by the expiration of the Indochina Children Refugee Assistance Act. I think that it is time to consolidate and improve the duplicative and confusing variety of programs designed to assist local education agencies in responding to the educational requirements -of new refugees. At the same time. it is necessary to insure that there can be no double dipping by school districts which might qualify for education aid for these students under other general Federal refugee assistance programs. Specifically. my proposal would define refugee for purposes of this act to include any person legally admitted to the United States. regardless of