Speech #920258858

Madam Chairman. I rise in support of H.R. 440. the purpose of which is to extend to customs and immigrant inspectors the same preferential retirement treatment the law has accorded enforcement officers of the Bureau of Customs and the Immigration and Naturalization Service for the past 24 years. Although the principal duties of these inspectors are not the investigation. apprehension. or detention of offenders of criminal laws. they are. nevertheless. charged with the enforcement of the Federal immigration and customs statutes. The fact of the matter is that inspectors form the first line of enforcement of the pertinent laws. They are essentially law enforcement officers. notwithstanding the titles of their positions or their Job descriptions. Therefore. Madam Chairman. equity would seem to dictate that the more liberal treatment be accorded these supportive personnel involved in customs and immigration work. to the same extent that we earlier favored firefighting personnel employed by the U.S. Government. I recommend the adoption of this legislation