Speech #1010079050

Mr. President. as required by the Refugee Act of 1980. the Judiciary Committee has recently met with the Presidents representatives to consult on the admission and assistance of refugees during the coming fiscal year. As required by the act. the committee has authorized me. as stipulated in section 207(d)(2). "to have printed in the CONGPRESSIONAL RECORD the substance of such consultation" with the President. On September 15. the Judiciary Committee held a public hearing to receive the Presidents proposal and to review the many refugee and other humanitarian problems we face around the world. As I noted at the hearing. this was the 10th occasion over the past decade we have consulted with the Presidents representatives on the admission of refugees to our country. But never. in recent years. has the number of refugees seeking shelter and protection been greater. nor have the root causes of the problem been more complex or international in scope. than it is today. An estimated 13 to 14 million refugees have sought shelter in every region of the globe. And never since the passage of the Refugee Act have the choices in the program been more difficult. or the budget more limited. Daily we see their tired. weary. and beleaguered Imagesof men. women. and children fleeing their homes and lands for all the reasons that lie behind the violence and conflict that persists among peoples and nations. Refugees have almost become a permanent feature of the worlds landscape. As in the past. refugees are of concern to the American people not only because of our Nations long and proud tradition of humanitarian concern. but because they also represent critical international and foreign policy problems. We know from recent history that massive refugee movements can unbalance peace and stability in the world as much as any arms race or political or military confrontation. Mr. President. for both humanitarian and foreign policy reasons. we must help relieve the plight of refugees. That is why the Judiciary Committee takes seriously its mandate under the law to annually review our worldwide refugee programs. Not too long ago. when we faced a refugee emergency we could respond through emergency appropriations. obtaining supplemental funds based solely upon the genuine needs of refugees. Today. because of rigid budgetary structures and ceilings. new humanitailan needs in one area of the world are pitted against equally urgent needs in other areas. For those of us who care deeply about helping refugees. this imposes some difficult choices. and the need to balance carefully and wisely our different refugee programsto assure that what we do in resettling refugees here does not reduce our ability to assist starving refugees overseas. From Indochina to Afghanistan. Africa. and Central Americaas well as the Soviet Union and Eastern Europethe flow of refugees grows. and the complexity of the problems we face all the more difficult. The United States has a critical role to play in helping refugees. Literally millions of lives are at risk. and the leadership of our country has never been more essential in marshaling the resources of the world communitywhich. in the end. will make all the difference in our fellow human beings in so many distant lands. Mr. President. for the RECORD. as required by Public Law 96212. the Refugee Act of 1980. I would like to share with the Senate the Presidents request for refugee admissions and assistance in 1990. as presented in testimony to the committee by Deputy Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger and Ambassador Jewel Lafontant. U.S. coordinator for refugee affairs. In addition. I ask unanimous consent that the concluding correspondence from the committee on the issues and concerns raised at the consultation hearing also be included at this point in the RECORD. with three accompanying tables outlining refugee admissions in recent years. and more particularly over 1989 and for the coming fiscal year.