That half of the island of Hispaniola would be virtually emptied. But. as other Members have made clear. poverty does not entitle an individual to political asylum. If that were the case. the United States would be inundated with tens of millions of economic refugees each year. This Member would add that yesterday. when CIA Director Robert Gates testified before the Foreign Affairs Committee. he noted that the best intelligence available leads to the conclusion that the Haitian Army is making a conscious effort not to persecute the repatriates. Mr. Chairman. we are facing a fundamental issue. one that goes far beyond our immediate concerns for Haitians. Do we really want to establish U.S. policy that any citizen from a nation experiencing instability should be entitled to refugee status? Clearly. that Is the direction we would be heading with the passage of this legislation. I would urge that a more appropriate standard is the one that is currently in place--that there must be a wellfounded fear of persecution on account of his or her race. religion. nationality. political opinion. or membership in a particular social group.
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