[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 116 (Friday, September 5, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1672]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      MOTION TO INSTRUCT CONFEREES ON H.R. 1119, NATIONAL DEFENSE 
                 AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1998

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. RALPH M. HALL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 4, 1997

  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
motion to recommit. It is crucial that the conference report retain the 
Traficant language authorizing the use of our military forces to 
protect our Nation's borders from illegal immigration and drug 
trafficking.
  It's time to face the fact that we are losing the war against drug 
infiltration into this country and that our Border Patrol is too few in 
numbers to guard our borders. We have 6,600 Border Patrol personnel to 
do the work of 20,000. Congress has mandated hiring 1,000 Border Patrol 
agents a year, but the Immigration and Naturalization Service is having 
a tough time hiring that number--and it will take another 10 years to 
reach the level of border support that we need.
  If we can send our troops to Europe, Haiti, and to Bosnia, we can 
certainly send them to help protect our own country against criminal 
encroachment. Our troops would provide the support and assistance that 
we need--a visible presence that would have tangible results.
  Critics of this language argue that it would raise all sorts of 
questions about jurisdiction and personal liability. These are issues 
that can be resolved by the Department of Defense, Justice, and INS. 
They are small problems compared to the seemingly insurmountable flow 
of illegal drugs into this country--a problem that costs lives and 
money and livelihoods and threatens the safety and security of our 
families.
  We also should not be misled by the issue of funding. We are already 
paying our military for food and shelter and salaries. We might as well 
use this valuable resource here at home and focus as much effort on 
protecting our borders against criminal activity as we do in protecting 
other countries.
  I urge my colleagues to support this motion to recommit with 
instructions.

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