Speech #970160743

Mr. Speaker. on April 1. 1982. new regulations addressing eligibility for the refugee cash assistance and refugee medical assistance programs became effective. These new rules would provide Federal reimbursement of RCA and RMA benefits paid by the States only during the first 18 months the refugee is in the United States rather than the current 36month period. It seems to me. Mr. Speaker. that these regulations will work a particular hardship on younger refugee recipients who are attending school to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent. Without this financial assistance. they will have to drop out of school and attempt to join a labor force that already suffers from an overabundance of unskilled workers. Clearly. this result is contrary to good public policy as well as a refugees desire to become selfsufficient in a new country. I have. therefore. introduced two pieces of legislation today that are intended to remedy this inequity. First of all. I have introduced a bill that would amend existing law to provide 100 percent RCA and RMA benefits to refugees under 25 years of age who are students in good standing in an accredited educational program leading to a high school diploma or its equivalent during their entire first 36 months in the United States. Because the Refugee Act of 1980 is up for reauthorization this year. I expect that my bill will be addressed during that process. In the interim. however. we must also act. That is why I am also introducing a concurrent resolution that expresses the sense of Congress that refugees who are students in good standing and working toward a high school diploma or its equivalent should be entitled to 100 percent RCA and RMA benefits during the first 36 months they are in the United States. The resolution also states the sense of Congress that the Director of the Social Security Administration. who administers the RCA and RMA benefits. should not promulgate or enforce any rule. regulation. order. schedule. or amendment that would be inconsistent with that goal. Mr. Speaker. by cutting the duration of RCA and RMA benefits in half. we undoubtedly will achieve a savings in Federal funds in the short run. however. we will be adding permanent numbers to our everincreasing welfare rolls. This policy is obviously shortsighted. Enactment of the legislation that I have today introduced will. on the other hand. save Federal funds in the long run by permitting young refugees to continue their education in order to be better able to assume a productive and selfsufficient place in our society when they graduate. I. therefore. urge all of my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring this important legislation.9