Speech #960253415

Chairman. it is my strong request that the allocations of fuel will be made in an equitable fashion. based on the demonstrated need of the various sectors. In my own congressional district. fuel allotments to the INS were cut more than 50 percent in April of this year. The shortfall in fuel led to the grounding of over half of the border patrol vehicles in the El Paso sector. which subsequently reduced effective control of the border. I am sure that all sectors have been affected by the fuel curtailment. Yet the effects of the curtailment are especially pronounced in the El Paso sector. where border patrol agents patrol some 341 miles of international border with Mexico. including 180 miles of land border and 161 miles of river border. All reports indicate that the surge of illegal aliens across the southern borders of this country is increasing to monumental proportions. Yet the appropriations for the INS does not reflect any real concern about this problem. We are now at the point where we have only 350 officers to guard the 2.000mile border with Mexico on any one shift. The lack of sufficient funding for the INS has not only decreased the effectiveness of the Border Patrol. but has led to serious morale problems in that agency. The grounding of border patrol vehicles due to insufficient funds can only further compound those problems. I strongly support the supplemental appropriations for fuel allotments for the Immigration and Naturalization Service. yet I also want to insure that these funds are distributed in as equitable a manner as possible among the various regions and sectors.