Speech #1010027942

Mr. President. the United States has both a humanitarian as well as a foreign policy Interest in responding to this emergency. To fail to act would not only turn our backs to our longstanding commitment to assist Soviet refugees. but to our support of the basic principle of the freedom of movement embodied in the Helsinki accords. Therefore. the Judiciary Committees of both Houses have now consulted with the Presidents representatives. and concurred in his recommendations. We have acted to authorize the admission of additional numbers and we have urged the President to resolve the many problems that have emerged in recent weeks in the processing of Soviet refugees to the United States. We have also reaffirmed the principle. well established by the Refugee Act. that the decision to admit refugees is a Federal one and the Federal Government must bear the primary responsibility to fund the initial resettlement costs. In the pending emergency supplemental appropriations bill we will soon act to provide up to $100 million for the overseas processing and transportation costs and initial resettlement grants. However. the issue of full funding for State and local costs remains unresolved. although all parties agree we must find new funds to support these programsand not simply shift funds from other equally deserving and needed programs. Finally. Mr. President. we expressed our deep concern over the problems that have suddenly emerged this past year in the processing of Soviet refugees. particularly in Rome. As we noted in our consultation with the Attorney General. and in the letter we have addressed to the President. unnecessary obstacles have been raised in the processing and acceptance of Soviet Jewish refugees. They have created needless delays. confusion. and escalating costs in care and maintenance. If the administration cannot adequately implement our refugee admissions proggam in a generous and humane fashion toward a refugee group we have long admitted. then Congress will be forced to act until and unless the Department of State and the Immigration Service can adequately implement the new casebycase screening process. Mr. President. as required by the Refugee Act. I am submitting for the record the substance of our consultations with the President on the further emergency admission of refugees. and ask that the text of the Presidents proposal. and the majority letters from the Judiciary Committees concurring in the Presidents recommendations. be printed in the REcoRD. I would also like to include the following table prepared by our Subcommittee on Immigration and Refugee Affairs outlining the numerical distribution of refugee admissions this fiscal year. including the new emergency numbers.