The committee accepted the amendment unanimously. without debate. The amendment extends for 2 years an existing law that would otherwise sunset on October 1 of this year. That existing law lowers the evidentiary standard required to qualify for United States refugee status for Soviet Jews. Soviet Evangelical Christians. religiously active Ukrainian Catholics. and certain categories of Vietnamese. Laotians. and Cambodians. Under normal circumstances. refugee applicants must prove a wellfounded fear of persecution to qualify for refugee admission. Under the Lautenberg law. once an applicant has proved that he or she is a member of a designated group. the applicant need only to prove a credible basis for concern for the possibility of persecution. The law has no effect on the numbers of refugees admitted to the United States. That number is determined in annual consultations between the Congress and the administration. Therefore. the Lautenberg law simply gives greater opportunity to these historical persecuted groups to be considered for refugee status. Mr. President.
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