Speech #970191241

I We intended by our actions to get people off welfare. but by some of the programs we have created we have pushed them in that direction. We have made efforts in this bill to correct that. We require a closer cooperation between the voluntary agencies. local and State government. and the Federal Government in terms of refugee resettlement. We require a closer observance of the success of the refugees in getting off welfare and getting into the economic mainstream of our society than we have ever required before. It seems to me if we are going to keep the pressure on the voluntary agencies. local and State governments. the Federal Government. both this branch of the Federal Government and the executive branch. it behooves us to have a 1year authorization. With respect to the other question as to whether we ought to have lineitem authorizations of specific amounts of money. I think we have found that if we are going to get people off welfare dependency we have to have English skills. we have to have employment training. That is why we require specific sums for that purpose. Second. it has come to our attention that there has not been adequate screening of the health of the refugees who have come to our shores. We have had some real problems with public health in certain areas of this country. We know. as a subcommittee. that there has not been adequate screening done in the camps.