This bill actually reduces spending in that fiscal year. Even more important. we have structured this bill so that the modest increases do not primarily go to fund the Federal bureaucracy. Instead. we enhance profreedom. prodemocracy initiatives such as refugee protection. Radio Free Asia. and human rights programs such as the scholarships for young people who have been forced to flee Tibet. Burma. and East Timor. Even though the Sanford amendment is not aimed specifically at refugees or at Radio Free Asia. the aggregate cuts it imposes would almost certainly result in cuts in these programs. Unfortunately. the refugee account has already taken a cut in real dollars. The modest funding for refugee protection is not even enough to cover the last couple of years worth of inflation. In real dollar terms. refugees still take a substantial cut over 3 years. Let us not forget we are awash in refugees. Some 26 million people are refugees throughout the world. Mr. Chairman. I have a letter that I have received from the InterAction Committee on Refugee Assistance. a dozen organizations. including the principal Catholic. Jewish. Lutheran. and Episcopalian refugee assistance agencies. as well as other humanitarian and human rights groups. which details what these groups call the alarming trend toward reduction of resources for refugee protection overseas. Mr. Chairman. at the proper time I will ask that that be made a part of the RECORD SO Members can see how these cuts. this slowing down of refugee protection money. has hurt the Christian Karen refugees from Thailand to Burma. has hurt people in Liberia and elsewhere. simply because there is not enough money to protect these very vulnerable people. I also want to call attention to the effect that this amendment will almost certainly have on the enhancement we voted for last week. on the amendment that I offered to provide and to boost Radio Free Asia by $70 million. That was. and I want to repeat this as I did last week. an initiative that Speaker GINGRICH came up with. that rather than 8 hours per day of broadcasting.
Keywords matched
refugees Refugee refugee