Speech #1030055822

Mr. Chairman. without question my district is one of the hardest hit by the flow of illegal immigrants. We rely on the Border Patrol to help stem the flow of illegal immigrants over our border. This bill includes an increase of $6.4 million over the administrations budget request for the Border Patrol. This level of funding is intended to allow the Patrol to maintain its current level of agents. Although I would like to see a much greater funding increase for the Border Patrol. I appreciate the attention given to the Patrol by Chairman SMITH and ranking member HAL ROGERS. I wish I could offer the same regards to the Clinton administration. Under the budget request submitted to Congress. the administration directed the INS to make cuts to the Border Patrol over and above those already made. We cannot afford these cuts. The Border Patrol is already seriously underfunded. Along the 14mile San DiegoMexico border. understaffed Border Patrol are trying to turn back 3.000 to 4.500 illegal aliens every night. Over half a million illegal immigrants enter California every year. Once illegal aliens are across the border. costs associated with these aliens increase tenfold. Unfortunately. the tab is picked up by the Federal. State. and local taxpayers at a cost of $5 billion a year. If the administration is serious about improving our immigration policy. a good place to start is to beef up the Border Patrol and give them the resources they need to stop the flood of illegal immigrants coming over the border. While I greatly appreciate the willingness of the committee to work with us. there simply is not enough funding for the Border Patrol in this bill or in the administrations request. I hope to work with the administration and the committee to secure sufficient funding for the Border Patrol.