Speech #1020129424

H.R. 3873. has been before the Committee on the Judiciary. on which I am proud to have served for some time. and I hope that it or some similar measure that accomplishes the same thing will be acted on. Haitians should be treated in the same manner as others fleeing oppressive government. and it has been thoroughly documented that that difference and this unfair treatment in trying to determine whether a military bullet is an economic bullet or a political bullet is an exercise in futility. and will suggest terror and hard times for those people who are being forced against their will to go back to their country. The Attorney General should implement existing authority under the immigration emergency fund to aid those who are fleeing the dictatorship in Haiti. The Coast Guard should stop the forced return of the Haitian boat people. There is nothing in the Supreme Court decision that requires that they force return of Haitian boat people. The Coast Guard can help rescue those who are trying to escape Haiti. but it should not be aiding the Haitian military. Finally. we should increase the number of Haitian immigrants that are allowed to enter the United States. which is a pitifully small number. I include in the conclusion of my remarks editorials from both the Washington Post and the New York Times that add additional arguments to the cogent ones that have been heard on the floor during that special order. Mr. Speaker. I want to join my colleagues in noting the terrible situation in Haiti and the dreadful response being made to that situation here in Washington. I believe that the Bush administrations decision to forcibly return Haitians to Haiti is an outrage and I have concluded that Congress should now grant temporary protective status to refugees. I am personally saddened and distressed at the Bush administrations approach to the crisis in Haiti. It just makes no sense to celebrate the end of the cold war by enforcing a 1981 agreement signed with ihe Duvalier regime that was overthrown by the people of Haiti. I wish that the President had decided to treat Haitians in a manner that is consistent with our longstanding tradition of granting refuge to those fleeing oppression. President Bush likes to be called a foreign policy President. but he does not want to admit that the Haitian crisis is a priority. All that the Haitians are asking is to be treated like other refugees that have come to our shores because of antidemocratic coups. We should do no less. During the closing days of the first session of the 102d Congress.