Speech #990050290

I am very much pleased with this bill that is before us today. It is reauthorization of the Refugee Act. It does provide a number of changes that I think are fundamental. We have heard some discussions by my colleague on the very important issue of targeted assistance just a moment ago. I do not think we should overlook the other features in this bill that are equally important such as. the procedures that are used right now by the voluntary organizations. and so on. which are improved in this bill. One of the key features that has been changed is to improve the relationship between the States that have to absorb these refugees and the workings of our administration and the voluntary organizations. Not always has that been a very smooth process. It may not be in the future. But at least this bill mandates certain working relationships that did not previously exist. and I think it is very important for that reason. if for no other reason. In addition. I might say that in following up on what my distinguished chairman said a moment ago about the capacity of States to control refugees they get or do not get. the fact is that we still are receiving thousands of refugees into this country every year. I do not want to deny the ones who come in here legally. That is part of our process of being Americans. That is part of our immigration process and our responsibility. But once they get here. there is a thing called secondary migration. and that means that even if they are settled in a voluntary settlement process in Minnesota. if they have a lot of their friends and relatives in Florida. California. Texas. or in Kansas. they are going to go there. And when they go there. that lack of control means that those States are going to bear an inordinate burden. especially the county governments of those States where they settle. an inordinate burden in order to get these people into the mainstream and get them going again. A few weeks ago we saw where the national teacher of the year was a Vietnamese person who had come here. emigrated. was one of the refugees. We see outstanding people every day who have been refugees. who have come to this country and have succeeded against the most harsh of conditions from their personal backgrounds. Most of that is due to their own energies. their own dynamism. But the fact remains that if we do not provide them with the kind of support initially that this legislation provides. they will not be the stars that we see and read about in the paper because they simply will not have the start that they have to get.