Speech #840030176

With regard to the Department of Justice the committee was requested to appropriate the sum of $201.485.000. The committee allowed $197.525.000. It should be remembered that included in this item for the Department of Justice are the appropriations for the coming fiscal year not only for the maintenance of the law office of the Government. the Office of the Attorney General. and the district attorneys throughout the country. but also the appropriations for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. the Immigration and Naturalization Service. the Federal prison system. and the Office of Alien Property. In connection with the $30.279.715 request of the judicial branch of the Government. there was allowed the amount of $29.603.250. a cut merely to the extent of $676.465. The next item is that for the United States Information Agency. which includes the Voice of America. wherein there was requested the amount of $88.500.000. As the result of the understanding arrived at among all the members of the subcommittee this item was agreed upon in the amount of $80.500.000. a cut of $8 million in the amount of the Bureau of the Budgets request. With regard to the request for funds appropriated to the President for the Refugee Relief item in the bill wherein the amount of $16 million was requested. although the committee felt that the results of this program have been practically negligible and very disappointing. they also felt that to deny this money at this time might place the Congress in the position of being subsequently held responsible in the event of the failure of the administration of this program to carry it out as was originally planned by the Congress of the United States. We have read in this mornings newspapers about suggested investigations to be made by the Congress with regard to this particular refugee relief bungling. If you will take the time to read the printed transcript of the hearings had before this subcommittee. some very amazing things will be found in reference to the inept administration of this program. You will find at page 529 that as of last January 14 only 500 refugees had been brought to the United States. As to the item. "Salaries and expenses. Department of State." I should point out that we have allowed $1.860.000 over the comparable appropriation for the current fiscal year. but that the item for salaries and expenses of the Department of State is $5.790.000 below the amount of the budget estimate.