I appreciate the remarks of my colleagues. Senator WILSON. Senator SPECTzR. and Senator HARKIN on the very important issue of funding for refugee resettlement programs. As they so eloquently explained. the Refugee Act of 1980 envisioned a partnership between the Federal Government and State refugee programs. The Federal Government was to be responsible for the cash and medical costs of resettling refugees for 36 months after their admission to the United States. Sadly. a decade later. this partnership has deteriorated. Federal reimbursements to the States have fallen to Just 4 months for categorical assistance programs despite increasing refugee admissions. The States. however. continue to uphold their part of the agreement by taking the substantial difference out of their own budgets. It is a little known factbut only too well known to those of us from States affectedthat over 80 percent of refugees settle in about a dozen States. My home State of Oregon is a good exampie of the impact this has on those States. Oregon ranks 11th nationally in terms of the number of refugees it has resettled since 1975. This may not sound impressive. until It is put into context. With a total population of 2.690.000. Oregon ranks 30th nationally in population size. My State has resettled a total of 25.439 refugees since 1975. which means that almost 1 of every 100 residents of Oregon is a refugee. The people of Oregon have welcomed refugees from Southeast Asia. Eastern Europe. Russia. and other areas.
Keywords matched
Refugee refugee refugees