Speech #980204228

Mr. Chairman. I wish to commend the gentleman from Iowa. the subcommittee chairman and his colleagues on the Appropriations Committee for their action in approving a $16.1 million increase in appropriations for the Immigration and Naturalization Service for fiscal year 1985. I also wish to thank him for his cooperation and understanding demonstrated this year. as well as in past years. in providing the necessary personnel and funding resources for the Service. I particularly appreciate his committees responsiveness to the authorization recommendations made by my Subcommittee on Immigration. Refugees. and International Law and the full Judiciary Committee over the years. The Judiciary Committee in H.R. 5468. the authorization bill for the Department of Justice recommends $595.165.000 for INS for fiscal year 1985. This represents an increase of $20 million over the budget request. My subcommittee was gratified to see that after many years of discussions and proposals for increases. the administration submitted a budget which called for a substantial increase in border enforcement resources. We applaud this initiative. It is evidence of a long overdue recognition and appreciation of the INS mission by the Department of Justice. It is also a concrete indication that at long last INS is overcoming its unfortunate reputation as an unreliable and ineffective government agency frequently described as a stepchild within the Department. However. the subcommittee which I chair concluded that the administrations fiscal year 1985 budget for the Immigration and Naturalization Service failed to achieve a proper balance between its two major responsibilities. enforcement and service to the public functions. Furthermore. it also failed to achieve suitable balance among the enforcement activities of the agencyinspection. investigations. border patrol. antismuggling and the like. Therefore. the Judiciary Committee authorized 447 additional positions and some $20.6 million to effect the necessary balance. The Appropriations Committee also recognized the imbalance inherent in the budget submission adopted the recommendations contained in the authorization bill and approved 447 new positions and $16.5 million additional funding. The $4.1 million difference in the two bills is a result of a disallowance by the Appropriations Committee of an increase for space and services payments to GSA in excess of 7 percent for Governmentowned buildings. This appropriations bill will provide much needed resources in service to the public activities and enforcement enhancement in inspections. antismuggling and investigations. On behalf of my Immigration Subcommittee. I wish to thank Chairman NEAL SMITH and his colleagues for their positive actions taken now and in the past on behalf of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. This kind of attitude has helped revitalize the Service. I wholeheartedly support the Appropriations Committees action regarding the Immigration and Naturalization Service for fiscal year 1985. My only hope is that the other body will follow the lead of the authorizing and appropriating committees of the House.