We provide medical services to the Cuban refugees who are on welfare, once again using the State mechanisms. The State provides to the Cuban on welfare, who needs health services, the same type of attention that it would to the American in need, and then we reimburse the States. These are the services that our program provides.

COST OF REFUGEE PROGRAM

Mr. MONAGAN. Do we have any summary of the tendency of the cost of this overall program?

Mr. PALMATIER. It is going up.

Mr. MONAGAN. It is going up?

Mr. PALMATIER. Yes.

Mr. FASCELL. Did we put that summary in the record, on a year-byyear basis and the total cost? Is that what you wanted?

Mr. MONAGAN. That is right.

Mr. PALMATIER. We can put that in the record.

Mr. MONAGAN. The airlift portion of it would be relatively constant, I suppose?

Mr. HURWITCH. That is right, although there was an increase in the contract recently signed for the coming year.

Mr. PALMATIER. Payment of the transportation; yes.

Mr. MONAGAN. But a relevant question would be what the tendency of the overall cost was. As you say, that is upward.

Mr. PALMATIER. It is upward. A Cuban refugee potentially is eligible for our program, under the arrangements that were made with the States, until he becomes an American citizen. As a result of this, we are potentially responsible for every one who has come to the United States since 1959. Our costs are going up. What we are feeling quite frankly

Mr. FASCELL. Is that on the theory that if the United States didn't pick up these costs, the States would have to do so, and since this is a Federal program, it is a Federal responsibility?

Mr. PALMATTER. I think it was, and I think it all relates to the psychology of the moment when the Cuban influx to the United States first occurred. We had the large number who came to the United States, principally to Miami, Fla. The State of Florida, the city of Miami attempted for almost 2 years to meet the needs of the refugees without turning to the Federal Government at all. Then it became necessary that the community be helped. I think the congressional delegation from Florida

Mr. FASCELL. You are looking at one of them.

Mr. PALMATIER (continuing). And other leaders called on the Federal Government and said, "We need help," and arrangements were made.

I think also at the time a great number of people felt it was a temporary situation, that they would soon be going back.

Mr. MONAGAN. What is the main reason for the increase? Is it the fact that there are more claims or that they are not being assimilated as well?

Mr. PALMATIER. Not really. What we are feeling in this program is really the cumulative effects of bringing in, over a long period of time, even a limited number of people who are just incapable of self-sup

port, and they remain with our programs until they become U.S. citizens. For instance, you could have a situation where you might have in any community 1,000 Cuban refugees. Perhaps 999 of them are self-supporting, have jobs, pay taxes, but if one of them requires help at any given point in time, rather than going on the regular welfare program of the State, and the State or the community picking up the tab, we reimburse 100 percent, until they become U.S. citizens. It is a cumulative effect of this small group, but over a long period of time.

Mr. FASCELL. Has the United States ever checked on the reluctance of the Castro regime

Mr. MONAGAN. Excuse me. I don't know that we asked them to supply those statistics.

Mr. PALMATIER. We can supply them, surely.

(The information follows:)

ASSISTANCE TO REFUGEES IN THE UNITED STATES-NUMBER OF CUBAN REFUGEES REGISTERED, NUMBER RESETTLED, AND TOTAL PROGRAM COSTS FISCAL YEAR 1961 THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 1970

CUBANS ON U.S. SUPPLEMENTARY LISTS

Mr. FASCELL. Have we ever inquired as to the reluctance of the Castro government to approve for exit the people who are on the U.S. supplementary list, who are claimed by U.S. citizens? You said there were 87,000 on the list and of those only about 8,000 had been admitted to the United States.

Mr. PALMATIER. Would you repeat the first part of the question? Mr. FASCELL. Has the U.S. Government ever tried to determine why the Castro government is reluctant to approve for exit the people who are on the U.S. supplementary list?

Mr. HURWITCH. Sir, neither Mr. Funseth nor I are able to answer that question completely in that since last fall when he and I became associated with this program that has not occured. We have not asked that question. I am not certain in my own mind that the word "reluctance" is absolutely applicable in this sense.

Mr. FASCELL. How about complete refusal?

Mr. HURWITCH. That is the point. About 5 to 10 percent of each flight coming out contain people on the list supplied from the U.S. master list. The vast majority are from the Cuban master list. As you

know, under the provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding, Cuba agreed to consider names of persons living in Cuba submitted by the United States.

REPATRIATION OF U.S. CITIZENS IN CUBA

Mr. FASCELL. The Citizens Committee for a Free Cuba has charged several times, and other people have made similar allegations that there are some 700 Americans still in Cuba, and that they are not allowed to leave. Is this true, and if so, what is the United States doing about it?

Mr. HURWITCH. I think the figure is around 800 if I am not mistaken, Mr. Chairman, and there is a flight coming out regularly once a month of Americans who are allowed to leave. There was

Mr. FASCELL. You mean in addition to the regular airlift flights? Mr. HURWITCH. Yes. This a flight that goes to Mexico. These Americans come out that way.

Mr. FASCELL. What is the monthly average?

Mr. HURWITCH. 50 or 60, I believe. The planes sometimes at the last minute are not totally full. People are scratched for one reason or another. There has only been since last year, since I have been associated with the program just about a year ago now, there has only been 1 month, again for reasons which are not completely clear, in which a flight was skipped.

Mr. FASCELL. Does the United States have any way of knowing whether or not the estimated 800 American citizens who are in Cuba have applied for exit permits and are trying to get out?

Mr. HURWITCH. Yes, they apply with the Swiss, and are registered with the Swiss.

Mr. FASCELL. So we have 800 approximately registered with the Swiss.

Mr. HURWITCH. I believe the number we have approved for repatriation, at the present time, is 700; you were right, I was wrong. 736 American citizens along with their families totaling 1,414 Cubans. Mr. FASCELL. 736 registered with the Swiss, and about 50 a month are coming out through Mexico?

Mr. HURWITCH. Yes, that is correct, sir. I would also like to mention that, I recall when I was earlier associated with the Cuban program during the Kennedy administration, we made many attempts to encourage all American citizens to leave Cuba at that time.

Mr. FASCELL. Mr. Hurwitch, let me ask you a question: Why can't the State Department furnish the transportation and bring all those people out right away?

Mr. HURWITCH. There isn't any question of a lack of transportation. Castro will only allow that number out.

Mr. KAZEN. How do they come in, through Mexico?

Mr. HURWITCH. Yes, sir. There is a plane that goes once a month from Havana to Matamoros, Mexico.

Mr. KAZEN. Is it an American plane?

Mr. HURWITCH. No, sir. It is a Mexican plane, chartered by the Mexican Government. The Mexican Government was very helpful on this. Through their good offices, we were able to arrange, beginning

in February 1968, for this special monthly repatriation flight. As I mentioned last week, more than 800 American citizens and nearly 1,400 of their close relatives have been repatriated by these flights. We regret that Cuba has not agreed to permit all of them to leave by this date but we appreciate the success of the Mexican Government in arranging for these flights. There are more who wish to get out, but as I say, over the years, there were opportunities for these people to leave and we had urged them to leave. These are the last remaining ones who, for their own personal reasons, wanted at that time to stay on.

Mr. KAZEN. So they fly from Cuba to Matamoros and immediately across the river into Brownsville, is this correct?

Mr. HURWITCH. That is correct, sir.

Mr. KAZEN. Who pays for that service?

Mr. HURWITCH. We do. May I ask Mr. Funseth, who follows this more closely, to respond?

Mr. FUNSETH. We pay the immediate cost, but each of these people, like any American citizen being repatriated, signs a repatriation loan covering the cost of his repatriation from Cuba to the United States. Mr. FASCELL. I believe you testified at the last hearing that we had no specific knowledge of any registrations beyond Castro's cutoff date of May 1966; is that correct?

Mr. HURWITCH. That is correct, Mr. Chairman, on the Cuban master list.

Mr. FASCELL. Has the United States made any decision with respect to what would happen if there were additional registrations? Mr. HURWITCH. I would like to go into that in executive session, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. FASCELL. Any other questions?

All right, in that case we will adjourn the open hearing and go into executive session.

(Whereupon, at 11:20 a.m., the subcommittee continued in executive session.)