Speech #980137680

Last year. the committee debated this issue. and. at that time. decided to study targeted aid further. The committee has now concluded that a carefully controlled targeted assistance program is necessary. and such a program is authorized in the bill before us today. The funds are to be distributed to counties that have been heavily impacted due to the influx of refugees. Next. the committee. in an attempt to further reduce welfare dependency among newly arrived refugees. has proposed changes in the cash and medical assistance programs now on the books to help refugees. First. the committee agreed to make newly arrived refugees presumptively eligible for medical assistance for 1 year after their arrival in the United States. This provision is designed to encourage refugees to take jobs immediately upon arrivaleven if such jobs are entrylevel jobs which offer no health care or other fringe benefits. The subcommittee was told repeatedly that many refugees are reluctant to take entrylevel jobs because many of these jobs do not offer medical coverage. at least during the initial period of employment. These refugees understand the high costs of health care in our country. Rather than take a job with no medical coverage. they refuse to take such jobs and. instead. go onto welfare rolls which entitle them to medicaid. Others. with sick children or pregnant wives quit entry level jobs to obtain medical coverage. Second. the bill bars refugees from receiving cash assistance whenever they refuse to take a job or go to a job interview that has been arranged by a voluntary agency or local employment service. The first refusal of a job or a job interview will carry a 3month ban. the second refusal a 6month ban. This is strong medicine. but the subcommittee has heard from numerous witnesses who told us that it is important to emphasize to refugeeswho have been influenced by the welfare mentalitythat getting a job quickly is essential and they will be penalized if they do not make a goodfaith effort to obtain employment. Third. the bill requires the Office of Refugee Resettlement to develop. implement. and evaluate alternatives to the present welfare system. These projects. which we will monitor closely. will supply us with the information necessary for determining whether resettlement efforts that do not rely on welfare mechanisms can be effectively implemented nationwide. A full report on these projects. complete with recommendations. will be transmitted to Congress by March 31. 1985. The final provision of the bill prohibits the use of block grants as a means of funding domestic resettlement activities. The administration. in the absence of specific authorization to do so. and despite the claims of some witnesses that a block grant program might not withstand a legal challenge. has proposed changing the present categorical refugee programs to a block grant. Mr. Speaker.