I am supporting and offering this amendment with these other two gentlemen for two reasons: First of all. I think the committee provision really breaks an international agreement which was made by the United States with 78 other countries. It makes no distinction between legitimate political refugees and persons who simply want to come to the United States for economic reasons. It also. I would point out. leaves local communities holding the bag for the cost of educating and training refugees who can often be very difficult to resettle and train. refugee camps. causing more confusion. because some of them. for instance. do causing them to believe that the refunot even have a written language. gee program is now blown away and I want to get into the case of the that they will therefore all have an opHmong. for instance. The United portunity to enter the United States. States Government has allowed more I would point out or simply ask why than 120.000 of the 400.000 Hmong who we should be creating an artificial inwere living in Laos in 1975 to enter this centive so that not only do we make country. There was a very good reason available resources to bring refugees to for the United States doing that. The this country. but we also shut off. in Hmong had done our dirty work in effect. the resources necessary to allow Laos during the Vietnam War. When refugees who want to return to their the government collapsed. we allowed original country to do so. many of them to come into this coun- The CHAIRMAN. The time of the try because of the service they had pro- gentleman from Wisconsin vided to the United States during the has expired. war.States has to recognize what people Mr. OBEY.
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refugees refugee