Speech #820117242

I shall first answer the inquiry just made to the gentleman from Minnesota by the gentleman from Montana . wherein the latter said he was under the impression that this bill provided for 85 automobiles at $4.700 apiece. That is not the fact. The committee was requested for an appropriation in the amount of $6.500.000 for the Immigration and Naturalization Service and a total of 142 new automobiles. The committee after due deliberation. decided to allow 85 automobiles and an appropriation of $4.000.000 for salaries and expenses. The automobiles are to be bought in the regular manner provided by law and Government regulation. not to exceed $1.400 apiece. With regard to the proposed amendment offered by the gentleman from Iowa . permit me to say that he evidently has not read the printed hearings. he evidently is not familiar with the fact that the budget estimate upon which this appropriation is based came up from the Bureau of the Budget following the Presidents signing of the socalled Poage bill. At that time the full House committee on appropriations had already reported out the bill making the regular annual appropriation for the Department of Justice. which includes the Immigration and Naturalization Service and was here on the floor considering the bill. The recent enactment of public law 78. the socalled Poage bill. provides for the recruitment of agricultural workers pursuant to arrangements between the United States Government and the Mexican Government. The success of the program contemplated by that law depends largely upon the degree to which illegal entry of aliens can be prevented. a fact recognized in the report by the Commission on Migratory Labor which was not made until the 7th of April 1951. long after the budget estimates had been prepared for the regular bill for the Immigration and Naturalization. Service and sent up here to the Capitol. The regular bill for the Immigration and Naturalization Service never contemplated matters provided for in this appropriation. The money to implement the socalled Poage bill was not included in the budget because. as I said before. the Commission on Migratory Labor had not completed its report until long after the budget had been prepared. With regard to the action of the committee in reducing the requested amount from $6.500.000 to $4.000.000 and the number of automobiles used to guard our border from 142 to 85. this was done after mature consideration. and I am sure that the distinguished ranking minority member of the subcommittee. its chairman during the Eightieth Congress. my friend. the gentleman from Nebraska . will presently agree 100 percent with the action of the committee in this regard.