Speech #970191002

Chairman. I support H.R. 5879. Although I have serious concerns that we are bringing in more refugees than we can handle. this bill incorporates the kinds of sensible approaches and policies this country needs if we are to create a more effective resettlement program for those we do admit. It should be noted that the funds provided under this bill relate primarily to refugees already here or whose admission has already been authorized and it does not relate to the question of further admissions. The State of Texas has more refugees than any State except California. There are between 50.000 and 85.000 refugees in Texas. I say "between" because nobody knows for sureand this has been one of the big problems with our resettlement program: inadequate data. The Federal Government has no idea how many refugees pick up and move to another State. How in the world. then. can the Government determine whether a locality is being severely impacted? How can it determine the proper level of social service funding for that area? Fortunately. this problem of insufficient data is addressed in H.R. 5879. The bill directs the Office of Refugee Resettlement to compile information on secondary migration. It also requires the Office to find out what the welfare dependency rates are in each State. Believe it or not. the Federal Government does not know that. either. Mr. Chairman. the bill contains a number of other meritorious provisions. For example. the Immigration Subcommittee was told by the Texas Department of Health that Indochinese refugees "have presented overload problems to our taxsupported health care systems." The bill addresses this problem by line itemizing. for the first time. $14 million to assist local health agencies with their costs in providing health assessments and initial treatment to refugees. What is more. the bill addresses headon the problem of high welfare dependency. Fulltime college students would no longer be able to receive welfare. voluntary agencies would have to notify welfare offices whenever a refugee turned down an appropriate job offer. welfare offices would have to notify voluntary agencies whenever a refugee applies for welfare. and the bill removes the provision in current law that says that a refugee does not have to sign up with an employment agency until he has been here 2 months. The able chairman of the subcommittee has already explained all the provisions of the bill. I would just reiterate that the bill has the strong support of State and local governments which continue to feelquite properlythat the Federal Government must be willing to assume primary financial responsibility for this program. the main reason being they have helped cause this program and I certainly think they need to be a part of it.