Vietnam Humanitarian Assistance and Evacuation Act of 1975 was U.S. congressional legislation proposed to designate financial resources for the evacuation and humanitarian aid of South Vietnam preceding the Fall of Saigon. The Act of Congress was to grant the 38th President of the United States a U.S. monetary fund as immediate foreign assistance for the South Indochina liberation movement during the military offensive by the People's Army of Vietnam, People's Liberation Armed Forces of South Vietnam, Viet Cong, and Viet Minh into Cochinchina.
On April 11, 1975, U.S. President Gerald Ford initiated discussions with the U.S. 94th Congressional session concerning legislation to assist the Republic of Vietnam. The 38th President's legislative plea regarding the U.S. House of Representatives bill 6096 concluded on May 1, 1975. The U.S. 94th House of Representatives rejected the Act in a vote of one hundred and sixty-two to two hundred and forty-six for U.S. monetary assistance facilitating freedom flights from the south French Indochina region.
This summary is from Wikipedia.
The summary below was written by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan division of the Library of Congress, and was published on Apr 25, 1975.
(Conference report filed in Senate, S. Rept. 94-97) Vietnam Humanitarian Assistance and Evacuation Act - Provides that funds hereafter made available under the Indochina economic aid provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act may be used as the President deems appropriate for humanitarian assistance to, and evacuation programs from, South Vietnam. Authorizes, additionally, for fiscal year 1975, $150,000,000 to the President to be used as he determines for humanitarian assistance to refugees and other needy people who are victims of the conflict in South Vietnam. Requires that such assistance be provided, to the extent feasible, through international organizations or voluntary relief agencies. Requires reports by the President at 90-day intervals of the use made of funds under this Act. Permits the use of the Armed Forces to protect the withdrawal of United States citizens and their dependents. Requires such withdrawal to be completed as rapidly as possible. Requires the President to submit a report and otherwise comply with the provisions of the War Powers Resolution in the event of the use of Armed Forces. Requires the President to certify to the Congress in the event of the use of Armed Forces that a direct and imminent threat existed to such citizens. Allows withdrawal, under specified conditions, of endangered foreign nationals. Requires the President to report each day on the number of citizens in Vietnam and the number of citizens and foreign nationals who have left; and requires a report within 48 hours of enactment of this Act of the President's plans for evacuation of persons described in this Act. Requests the President to use all appropriate diplomatic means to obtain an updated accounting of Americans listed as missing in action in Southeast Asia; and the return of the remains of known American dead. Prohibits the use of funds under this Act to aid the Democratic Republic of Vietnam or the Provisional Revolutionary Government.
