Speech #930054167

Debate has centered instead on a much less significant sideissue. which I consider to be a tempest in a teapot. compared with the core issuethe fate of the effectiveness of our drug enforcement operations. In an effort to address the attention of our colleagues to the central drug abuse aspects of this planwhich now are the only aspects involvedI would like to state the facts regarding the consideration of the plan by our Committee on Government Operations. the original and subsequently withdrawn opposition of organized labor groups to section 2 of the plan. and regarding the negotiations and agreement between the administration and these labor groups concerning section 2 of the plan. Sometime after the Legislation and Military Operations Subcommittee of Government Operations voted for the plan by reporting the disapproval resolution unfavorably by a vote of 911. concern began to grow within our committee about the charges by organized labor that section 2 of the plan. which would transfer some 900 Immigration and Naturalization Service employees to the Customs Bureau. would threaten our already weakened enforcement capability against the entry of illegal aliens. many of whom obtain jobs which should be held by American citizens. At the insistence of members of our committee. the Office of Management and Budget had earlier begun negotiations with the American Federation of Government Employees and the AFLCIO over section 2 of the plan. When the full cornmittee first met to consider the disapproval resolution. a motion to report the resolution unfavorably to the floor failed by a tie vote of 18 to 18. At that meeting. it was reported that these negotiations were underway. but had not yet succeeded in satisfying the objections of labor. A few days later. although some members of the committee virtually shouted me down when I attempted to detail the latest status of these negotiations. the committee voted 23 to 17 to report the disapproval resolution favorably to the House floor. While there were other Issues raised. at that point in time. the obvious center of opposition to the plan grew around the concerns of labor. and the concerns about the future effectiveness of our ability to prevent the entry of illegal aliens. What has occurred since that committee vote is well known. First. the administration and the labor groups which were opposed to the plan successfully completed their negotiations. Labor agreed to withdraw completely from its opposition to the plan. and in fact stated that they felt there should be no delay in improving our drug law enforcement machinery. The administration agreed to join labor in seeking the repeal by legislation of section 2 of the plan. relating to illegal aliens and portsofentry inspection authority. and to in any event delay the implementation of section 2 if the repealer legislation did not pass prior to the effective date of the plan. Legislation to repeal section 2 has already been introduced in the House and Senate in a goodfaith attempt to produce a drug law enforcement program reorganization acceptable to all parties. I have been involved in the consideration and negotiation of several reorganization plans.