Mr. President. I rise today to introduce legislation to reauthorize the Refugee Assistance Act. The act authorizes assistance to refugees through grants to private nonprofit associations. as well as public associations. to be used to provide services such as job training. educational programs. and English language classes to newly arrived refugees. These programs play an important role in the American tradition of opening new doors to those from around the world who have been subjected to persecutions of all kinds. I would note that under the act. the Department of Health and Human Services is free to experiment with innovative ways to help refugees become selfsufficient in America. For example. the program currently makes some use of private nonprofit groups in rendering assistance to refugees. and I would encourage the Department of Health and Human Services to expand those uses more broadly. Such experimentation has great potential to help the program accomplish its purpose to help refugees make a new life for themselves. rather than becoming dependent on the Government. My understanding is that the Department of Health and Human Services is also committed to experiments along these lines. and I look forward to working with the administration and the nonprofit community involved with refugees to make this program even more effective in the next few years.
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