Speech #960335680

Howevr. I do wish to set out what I feel is the need for this type of bill at this time. I believe we can all agree that the Immigration and Naturalization Service is an agency in severe troube and in need of positive assistance. During the Department of Justice authorization. and again during House consideration of the Department of Justice appropriations bill. we added significant new funding to assist the Immigration apd Naturalization S2rvice to carry out its mandate. Such additional funding dealt with border patrol and inspection positions so that the Immigratlon Service could regain some control over our borders. The bill we consider today makes several legislative changes which will free the Service of unnscrssary and timeconsuming activities that use manhovrs without madng any contribution to the execution of the laws which the Service is chargrd to enforce. Reports to the Congress that are now required have been added over the years. but their usefulness no longer exists. Court decisions have made sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act impossible to enforce. Other sections of the law have become meaningless and ineffective. I am the first to agree that the entire Immigration and Nationality Act is in need of a thorough revision. Four Members of this House serve on the Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy. which is charged with. among other things. recommending such a revision. Our Subcommittee on Immigration will most certainly consider all the recommendations of the Select Commission. during the next Congress. The bill we consider today was drafted to avoid inclusion of farreaching nd significant new policy directions. The changes made. in addition to those eliminating meaningless reports and duties currently imposed on the Immigration Service. have their basis in private legislation which we have considered. For example. granting the Attorney General discretion to waive minor drug convictions merely shifts the discretion that has been often exercised by the subcommittee in private legislation in favor of close relatives of U.S. citizens who are at this time permanently barred from entering this country because of such drug conviction. I think this bill will help the Immigration Service without sacrificing any protection of our citizens and the law enforcement function which we have given the Service. In fact. it should allow the Immigration and Naturalization Service to carry out its mandate more effectively by freeing it from meaningless tasks. I am happy to support this bill and urge my colleagues to do likewise.