Speech #970175139

It takes off the freeze on spending in this function which the Budget Committee imposed. and allows for spending at the current policy level over the next 3 fiscal years. That is a cost of $200 million in fiscal year 1983. In addition. it adds $100 million to the function 750 in fiscal year 1983. in order to meet a limited number of top priority needs in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. the Drug Enforcement Administration. and the Immigration and Naturalization Service. So in total. the amendment adds $300 million to function 750 for fiscal year 1983. $400 million for fiscal year 1984. and $500 million for fiscal year 1985. This small increase is absolutely essential if we are to show the American public that we are serious about trying to fight crime and drug trafficking. and in coming up with an enforceable immigation policy. Mr. President. a freeze on spending in this function amounts to a reduction in the number of people we put on the streets to fight crime and drug trafficking. The vast preponderance of the budgets of the agencies that are affected by the committees mark is made up of personnel costs: For FBI and DEA special agents. for INS Border Patrol officials and investigators. for U.S. attorneys and marshals. These are areas we simply cannot afford to cut. If we had some assurance that criminals and drug smugglers were going to freeze their activities at this years level. or that illegal immigration would remain at this years level. perhaps the cuts would not appear so bad. But I do not think that we are going to get that type of assurance. In fact. if history is any judge. chances are that crime and drug smuggling will increase. and so will immigration. In short. we simply cannot afford to cut the budgets of our law enforcement agencies. Doing so would be a disservice to the American people.