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7339010
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Text of a Letter to the Speaker of the House from the President concerning H.R. 6096, the Vietnam Humanitarian Assistance and Evacuation Act of 1975
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7339010
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document
title
Text of a Letter to the Speaker of the House from the President concerning H.R. 6096, the Vietnam Humanitarian Assistance and Evacuation Act of 1975
citationUrl
collections
White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
Press Releases
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U.S. House of Representatives. (03/04/1789 - )
Refugees
Legislation
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7339010
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1
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1975-05-01
month
5
year
1975
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nara-archive
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1
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892b877f0f94166d
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Digitized from Box 10 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 1, 1975
Office of the White House Press Secretary
THE WHITE HOUSE
TEXT OF A LETTER TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
April 30, 1975
Dear Mr. Speaker:
In view of the urgent need for funds to pay for humanitarian assistance
and transportation of refugees from South Vietnam, I request that the
House of Representatives act quickly to approve the Conference Report
on H.R. 6096, the Vietnam Humanitarian Assistance and Evacuation Act
of 1975. In making this request, I am aware that sections 4 through
9 of H.R. 6096 have been overtaken by events and have no further utility.
Nevertheless, the enactment of the bill as recommended by the Conference
Report is the most expeditious method of obtaining funds which are now
desperately needed for the care and transportation of homeless refugees.
As I stated yesterday, the evacuation has been completed. The Congress
may be assured that I do not intend to send the armed forces of the
United States back into Vietnamese territory.
Approximately 70,000 evacuees are now located on various safe haven is-
lands, on U.S. Navy vessels and on civilian vessels. These individuals are
being cared for by agencies of the United States Government while being
processed through a system established to relocate them in the United
States and in other countries.
Although the specific cost of activities related to the evacuation cannot
be fixed at this point, it is estimated that direct U.S. expenditures to
care for and process these evacuees, and contributions to international
organizations and private voluntary agencies to assist in this effort,
will exceed $400,000,000. Available funds already appropriated to
provide aid to Vietnam will be reprogrammed and utilized to the max-
imum extent possible. But the additional authority of $327,000,000 will
be required to fully meet immediate needs.
The authority of this legislation, followed by appropriations as soon
as possible, is necessary to continue this operation, to integrate the
evacuees into the United States and other countries and to permit con-
sideration of further humanitarian assistance which may be consistent with
the provisions of H.R. 6096 and American policy objectives.
I urge the immediate enactment of H.R. 6096.
Sincerely,
GERALD R. FORD
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