[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 162 (Tuesday, November 16, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S14610]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     REFUGEE PROTECTION ACT OF 1999

  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the importance 
of the Refugee Protection Act of 1999 and to honor those most affected 
by this legislation.
  The Refugee Protection Act of 1999 will continue a tradition that is 
as old as the United States itself. Our great country was founded by 
men and women who left their homeland for a better life in the new 
world. Many of these individuals escaped persecution in their home 
countries, made the difficult decision to leave what they knew behind 
and to take their chances in a new country where many did not know the 
language and customs or have friends or family. The Refugee Protection 
Act helps to continue this tradition by ensuring that those who seek 
entrance to the United States as refugees are given fair consideration 
and due process.
  The Refugee Protection Act of 1999 would reinstate important 
protections against the deportation and refusal of refugees and asylum 
seekers who enter the United States from countries in which they face 
danger and persecution, whether it is due to ethnic, religious or 
political beliefs. Over the past few years Vermont has seen an increase 
in the number of refugees who have come to live in our great state. 
These refugees are well served by a number of agencies in Vermont which 
provide them help and promote their interests, including the Vermont 
Refugee Resettlement Program, the Tibetan Resettlement Project, the 
Tibetan Association of Vermont and Vermont Refugee Assistance. The 
Refugee Protection Act of 1999 will continue the example set in the 
state of Vermont, by welcoming refugees to our country and ensuring 
that all are given the full extent of protection they deserve.

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