Speech #930256436

I am Introducing a concurrent resolution which declares it to be the sense of Congress that there must be a halt to the latest example of flagrant disregard by the administration for due process. On June 5. the Director of the Office of Management and Budget directed that steps be taken to transfer certain functions from the U.S. Customs Service in the Department of the Treasury to the Immigration and Naturalization Service in the Justice Department. These functions lie by statute within the domain of responsibility of the Customs Service. They do not lie within the legal authority of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. No transfer of this kind may take place without review by Congress. which has the ultimate authority to determine the statutory domains of Federal agencies. The specific order to the Customs Service from the Office of Management and Budget requires the Customs Service to initiate steps to transfer its capabilities for interdiction of contraband between principal points of entry along the Mexican border. to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. I am advised that this illegal order was reaffirmed last week. No effort was made to contact the Congress beforehand on this issue.