President. during the past year the Senator from Washington and I have worked with the Senator from Connecticut who is chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor. HHS. Education and related agencies to resolve the continuing controversy surrounding Federal refugee assistance. Last year I asked the Senator from Connecticut to include in the committees report on fiscal year 1985 appropriations a clarification of congressional intent in support of funding for refugee targeted assistance and I appreciate his willingness to accommodate this request. Unfortunately. the Office of Refugee Resettlement again is unwilling to make available to States. the full amount Congress intended for this purpose in fiscal year 1985 which is $50 million. ORR contends that the level of funding should be $50 million less unused appropriations from fiscal year 1984. Such an interpretation means that only $11 million out of the $50 million Congress intended would be available for targeted assistance areas nationwide. That is why we wrote the Senator from Connecticut asking him to include specific bill language in the fiscal year 1985 supplemental appropriations legislation directing ORR to release all of the fiscal year 1985 funds we have already allocated. However. we understand the Senator from Connecticut has addressed the issue in the committees report on fiscal year 1985 funding for refugee assistance.e
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