Because of the multitude of programs and the many agencies and" departments they are scattered among. it is almost impossible to get a true picture of the total cost. In order to overcome this lack of information. I introduced an amendment. similar to the one I am offering today. in 1979 which required a report on the total cost of our refugee assistance efforts. In February of 1980 this report was released and revealed that the estimated cost for fiscal year 1980 would be $1.7 billion and $2.1 billion in fiscal year 1981. Unfortunately. these figures are now outdated because of the Cuban/ Haitian arrivals and the generation of new information regarding the refugees we are admitting. At a time when the needy children of this country are being forced to go without vital assistance because of cutbacks in food. housing. and jobs programs. this bill. S. 1193. would increase the authorization for refugee assistance. I believe that a report on the total cost of our refugee programs would help the Congress and the Committee on Foreign Relations set spending priorities in a more reasonable manner. The amendment I am offering would simply require the President to report within 60 days on the total cost of our refugee assistance efforts including the Cuban/Haitian arrivals. It is exactly the same kind of report which the Carter administration was required to make last year. The administration has all the figures. it is simply a matter of putting those figures together in one report. Mr. President. this is a very simple amendment. very similar to the one that was adopted 2 years ago that simply requires the administration to supply Congress with the total cost of refugee assistance. It has been cleared on both sides of the aisle. and I ask for its immediate consideration.
Keywords matched
refugee refugees