Speech #1000107002

I mean. I live in lesser conditionsI cannot even pull any teak stumps out. There is nothing left on my property and you have erected the Taj Mahal over there for a group of people who are not refugees." And then we wonder why the Thais resist? The Thais will eventually harden their hearts and just say no. But they are not going to allow buildings to go up and construction sites and great warehouses full of grain and rice for people who have been reviewed again and again. maybe three times. and are unable to pass the test as refugees. They indeed pass the test as human beings who are in wretched circumstances. but do not pass the test of refugee. But we help them in other ways. That is where we are for that. There are some good things here: allocations to Thailand to carry out some activities. redeployment of the Royal Army to help train them in humanitarian care of refugees. But we do not need this legislation to do that. I just do not think. Mr. President. that it is right to do violence to the Refugee Act by legislating specific numbers for a specific area of the world. That is exactly what we tried to get away from when we passed the Refugee Act of 1980. Even a sense of the Senate resolution. which this is. with a few added bits. is most ill advised in this situation. We have a very full and effective consultation each year in order to provide the proper allocation. The State Department is involved. the INS is involved. The Judiciary Committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate are involved. Please understand. and I would never intend to speak for my dear friend PER RODINO. the chairman of the Judiciary Committee or my old sidekick RON MAZZOLI. chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration and Refugee Policy in the House. But I can tell you that they are going to have a lot of difficulty with this. If we are going to do something like this. let us revisit the Refugee Act or the definition under the Refugee Act because that is. in effect. what should occur first. So. we have already consultation process with the Judiciary Committee of the House and the Senate. and ranking members and the chairmen. That is the very essence of the Refugee Act. I could tell you from my own personal experience. and as I say I have had my old bald dome hammered in this area. I can tell you this: I have learned that there is an amazing network of old "Saigon Cowboys." some people who really almost are irritated at their own country and they remain in that part of the world. raising hell with their own country.