Thomas Lewis: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Goss amendment. The Goss amendment…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Goss amendment. The Goss amendment gives us a chance to address the most important and dangerous result of the President's failed Haitian policy: The increasing numbers of refugees entering the United States through Florida. Since President Clinton invited Haitians to take to the seas 2 weeks ago, the Coast Guard has intercepted and returned 1,400 of them without asylum hearings. As the United Nations sanctions make life worse in Haiti, thousands and thousands of Haitians per week are expected to flee their suffering nation. President Clinton offers his Ukrainian ``Loveboat'' scenario in response. But this will not prevent thousands of refugees from Haiti or the Bahamas from coming to the United States in search of education, medical care and other social services, services which cost the State of Florida an annual average of $3,000 for each refugee. With the Goss proposal in place using the island as a safe haven, fewer Haitians would drown at sea, fewer political refugees would be returned to Haiti and fewer economic refugees would end up in the United States. It would eliminate the use of military force which I oppose. It would feed the poorest of the poor. It is the right idea at the right time, and I urge my colleagues to support it.”