William Helms: “in 1989--I believe in July--both Houses of Congress overwhelmingly agreed to an amendment to the Emergency Chinese…”

“in 1989--I believe in July--both Houses of Congress overwhelmingly agreed to an amendment to the Emergency Chinese Refugee Relief Act sponsored by Senator Armstrong and Senator DeConcini. Senators will probably remember that this legislation was in response to the Tiananmen Square crackdown. The amendment required asylum adjudicators to give fullest possible consideration to asylum applications from Chinese nationals fleeing coercive population control policies, specifically the program of forced abortion and coerced sterilization. The Senate vote was 95 to 0 on that amendment which is virtually identical to the one I have just offered. The House vote was 300 in favor, 115 opposed. Unfortunately, the amendment never became law because the underlying bill was vetoed, and that is why I have offered virtually the same amendment that was offered in 1989 by Senators Armstrong and DeConcini. I am offering the amendment again because--I find this difficult to believe--the administration's policy today is to deport individuals fleeing the brutal population control program of Communist China.”