Speech #970191222

I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. 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 a refugee is in the United States rather than the current 36month period. It seems to me that these new regulations are very shortsighted and will work a particular hardship on younger refugees who are attending school to receive 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. It is for this reason that I today rise with mixed feelings about H.R. 5879. While I commend the committee for its hard and diligent work on this important legislation. I regret that they did not reinstate RCA and RMA benefits for the entire first 36 months a refugee is in our country. especially students. I am also troubled by a portion of section 6 of H.R. 5879 that. at first glance. appears to revoke cash assistance benefits from any refugee who is a fulltime student at an institution of higher education. The committee report indicates that this language was included because of a strong belief that cash assistance benefits should not be used to subsidize a college education. I certainly understand the committees position in that regard and support it. At the same time. there are hundreds of refugees throughout the country who attend colleges. vocational schools. or night classes at high schools on a fulltime basis as part of an employability program simply to achieve the equivalent of a high school diploma or what is commonly referred to as a GED. Virtually without exception. these refugees are enrolled in a GED program because of their desire to become a more productive member of American society and the States desire for the refugees to become truly selfsufficient. Thus. to revoke their cash assistance benefits simply because of their fulltime student status would be contrary to sound public policy. I am confident that the committee did not intend to exclude fulltime refugee students seeking a GED as part of an employability program from receiving cash assistance benefits. I. therefore. take this time to engage the chairman of the subcommittee. the gentleman from Kentucky. and the ranking member. the gentleman from New York. in a colloquy to determine the exact intent of section 6(b)(4) of H.R. 5879.