Speech #1010044779

In my opening statement. I said H.R. 2022 would set a dangerous precedent. If adopted it could eventually set off an avalanche of legislation to grant special. preferential refugee and immigration status to select groups. That in turn would demolish the framework established by the 1980 Refugee Act to handle refugee applications in a consistent. evenhanded manner. With the offering of this amendment. I think I hear the first rumblings of that avalanche. I am sympathetic to the intent of the amendment offered by my colleague. And if the House is going to change the rules and set itself up as an arbiter of which categories of refugees are to be given preference this year. then my colleague is only to be commended for his initiative. I rise then in opposition not to the particular merits of the amendment but rather to the idea that the House should be making these kinds of decisions through legislation. The House is illequipped to administer this Nations refugee program. The 1980 Refugee Act is the appropriate framework within which consistent. evenhanded administration of those policies can and should be carried out. But once this House changes the rules and the avalanche of legislation starts to move. it will be difficult if not impossible to stop its rush. This precedents potential for wreaking havoc on our refugee policy seems unbounded. I would anticipate that there would not be a single group in the special refugee categories that would not come forward with evidence of greater need and unconscionable administrative backlogs in the processing of applications for their group. Is the House going to take over the administration of the Nations refugee program? This amendment and H.R. 2022 propose to do just that. They would set the clear precedent that if any group is either unhappy with the administration of the current law or seeks to gain additional advantage under the law. they need only come to the House.