Speech #1030040175

I rise today to introduce legislation to permit certain employees of the U.S. Customs Service. Immigration and Naturalization Service. and Internal Revenue Service who are working in hazardous occupations to retire at age 50 with 20 years of Federal service. I have introduced similar legislation in the 100th. 101st. and 102d Congresses. Under current law. Federal law enforcement officers and firefighters are eligible to retire at age 50 with 20 years of Federal service. This legislation would provide the same retirement benefit to U.S. Customs inspectors and canine enforcement officers. immigration inspectors. and IRS revenue officers. Like law enforcement officers and firefighters. these employees also have very hazardous. physically taxing occupations. and it is in the publics interest to ensure a young and vigorous work force in these jobs. Customs and Immigration inspectors are our first line of defense against terrorism and the smuggling of illegal drugs. Recently. Customs instituted an antiterrorist program called Border Shield. which put employees on full alert at all border crossings and airports and required inspectors to carry firearms at all times. A clear and constant threat of severe bodily injury means that all Customs inspectors are authorized to carry firearms and must meet one of the highest qualification standards of all law enforcement officers. In February 1990. a tragic reminder of this threat occurred when Timothy McGaghren. a U.S. Customs inspector. was killed in the line of duty on the Southwest border. According to an FBI Uniform Crime Report. in 1988 IRS officers suffered more assaults than any law enforcement group in the Federal Government. and Customs and Immigration officers were assaulted at a rate exceeding that experienced by the FBI. U.S. Marshals Service. and the U.S.