[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 86 (Thursday, June 30, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 30, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND STATE, THE JUDICIARY, AND RELATED 
  AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1995, AND SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS, 
                                  1994

                                 ______


                               speech of

                          HON. GARY A. FRANKS

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 27, 1994

       The Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 
     for the further consideration of the bill (H.R. 4603) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and 
     State, the Judiciary, and related agencies programs for the 
     fiscal year ending September 30, 1995, and making 
     supplemental appropriations for these departments and 
     agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1994, and 
     for other purposes:

  Mr. FRANKS of Connecticut. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to express my 
support for the fiscal year 1995 Commerce, Justice, State, and 
Judiciary appropriations bill. I am particularly pleased that the 
Committee was able to increase the Department of Justice budget by 26 
percent over last year's level. Much of the increased funding will go 
toward crime fighting programs like Cops on the Beat which aims to put 
100,000 more police officers on the street. Additionally, both the FBI 
and DEA will be able to hire additional agents in order to fight crime 
and drugs.
  Criminals across this Nation continue to victimize the honest law-
abiding citizens in our towns and cities, while drug dealers continue 
to supply drugs which are killing the youth of our Nation. We must not 
let this trend continue. It is time to take back our neighborhoods and 
our streets from the criminal.
  Earlier this year Congress was finally able to address the national 
crime problem and adopt a comprehensive crime package. I believe that 
H.R. 4603 will help fund many of the critical crime fighting proposals 
included in the Omnibus crime bill--H.R. 4092.
  While I believe that the committee did an excellent job crafting this 
legislation, I am very concerned about the escalating cost of the U.N. 
peacekeeping operations. In fiscal year 1988 U.N. peacekeeping 
operations cost the United States about $30 million. In fiscal year 
1995 that figure has grown to $1.5 billion or 31.7 percent of the total 
U.N. peacekeeping expenditure. Earlier this year Congress approved the 
Kolbe amendment which will cap the U.S. burden at 25 percent beginning 
in fiscal year 1996. During consideration of this bill I supported the 
Rogers amendment which would have implemented this reduction in fiscal 
year 1995.
  I believe that the U.S. has been picking up the U.N.'s tab for far 
too long. Industrial nation's like Japan, Germany, and Great Britain 
are often paying less than a third of the United States' share. China, 
which has veto power in the U.N. Security Council pays only 1 percent 
of the peacekeeping budget. The U.N.'s free ride must come to an end 
now. I believe that U.S. forces are much better served by fighting 
under the American flag than that of the U.N. I would point to the 
Somalia debacle as clear example of why U.S. forces should not be 
subject to the command of the U.N.
  Finally Mr. Chairman, I am pleased that the committee is finally able 
to address the growing problem of illegal immigration. This bill will 
fund the Immigration and Naturalization Service [INS] at $301.2 million 
more than last year. This will allow INS to put more than 700 new 
agents on the border. In addition, for the first time this bill will 
allow for States to be reimbursed for incarcerating illegal aliens. In 
States like Florida, California, and Texas this is a tremendous 
problem. If we do not act now, it could become a serious problem for 
Connecticut. We must put an end to the practice of throwing precious 
Federal dollars to illegal immigrants. I supported the Condit-Thurman 
amendment which would appropriate $600 million to the State to cover 
the costs keeping these illegal aliens behind bars.
  As with any appropriations bill this bill has strong points and weak 
points. However, Mr. Chairman, I believe that overall this is a good 
bill and I am going to urge its passage.

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