[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 19]
[House]
[Pages 26813-26814]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



      TWO YEAR EXTENSION OF PERIOD FOR ADMISSION OF AN ALIEN AS A 
                              NONIMMIGRANT

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 3061) to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to 
extend for an additional 2 years the period for admission of an alien 
as a nonimmigrant under section 101(a)(15)(S) of such Act, and to 
authorize appropriations for the refugee assistance program under 
chapter 2 of title IV of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3061

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       In light of the increasing problem of alien smuggling into 
     the United States, it is the sense of the Congress that the 
     Attorney General should use the provision of nonimmigrant 
     status under section 101(a)(15)(S) of the Immigration and 
     Nationality Act in a greater number of alien smuggling 
     investigations per year than has been done in the past.

     SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATION FOR ADMISSION OF ``S'' 
                   VISA NONIMMIGRANTS.

       Section 214(k)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
     U.S.C. 1184(k)(2)) is amended by striking ``5'' and inserting 
     ``7''.

     SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR REFUGEE 
                   ASSISTANCE.

       Section 414(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
     U.S.C. 1524(a)) is amended by striking ``1998 and 1999'' and 
     inserting ``2000 through 2002''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Smith) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith).


                             General Leave

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3061 reauthorizes two longstanding important 
immigration programs, both of which ran out in September and may not 
properly continue until they are reauthorized.
  Authorization for 250 ``S'' visas per year, which are used by the 
Justice Department to obtain the testimony of informants in 
international organized crime cases, ran out on September 13, 1999, and 
no visas may be issued until it is reauthorized.
  Since its initiation in 1994, the ``S'' visa has proved to be a 
valuable tool

[[Page 26814]]

for law enforcement. According to the Justice Department, the agency is 
currently involved in a number of ongoing criminal investigations where 
the ``S'' visa would be useful, and time is of the essence. H.R. 3061 
reauthorizes the program, and also expresses the sense of Congress that 
``S'' visas should be used in more investigations of alien smuggling, 
which is a growing and serious problem.
  H.R. 3061 also reauthorizes the refugee resettlement program that 
assists refugees to the United States by providing job training, 
language training, and other services. The bill creates no new funding 
or regulatory requirements. It simply reauthorizes two important 
existing programs.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3061.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the Violent Crime Control Act of 1994 created a new 
``S'' nonimmigrant visa classification. It permits up to 300 foreign 
nationals a year to enter the United States to provide information that 
is needed for the investigation and prosecution of criminal and 
terrorist organizations.
  The Violent Crime Control Act also permits the Attorney General to 
grant lawful permanent resident status to the foreign nationals who 
provide this assistance. This is available in cases where the 
information supplied substantially contributes to the prevention of an 
act of terrorism or to the success of an important criminal 
investigation or prosecution. This is necessary because many of these 
people are in danger in their home countries after they have cooperated 
with an investigation or testified in a criminal proceeding.
  This is also helpful because of the use of our particular law 
enforcement and justice system that requires the information these 
individuals may provide us in order to safeguard the lives of the 
American people.
  One of the people who provided information under this program was a 
flight attendant who was in a plane on which a bomb had been placed. 
Her testimony led to the conviction of a major terrorist and other 
members of his terrorist organization. Another person in this program 
was an individual in a central European capital who provided critical 
information about Russian organized crime syndicates. Another example 
is a group of hearing-impaired Mexicans who provided information about 
being smuggled into the United States by a family-based crime 
organization. When they arrived, they were forced to work without pay 
selling trinkets on the street.
  The bill also expresses the sense of Congress that the visas should 
be used in a greater number of alien smuggling investigations than has 
been done in the past. The ``S'' visa program ended on September 13, 
1991. H.R. 3061 would extend the availability of this program for 
another 2 years, through September 13, 2001.
  This bill also reauthorizes the Refugee Resettlement Assistance 
Program, which is administered by the Department of Health and Human 
Services Office of Refugee Resettlement. Loss of these funds would be a 
disaster to the refugees who have come to our country seeking a safe 
haven from persecution.
  Appropriations to fund this program are currently authorized through 
FY 1991. H.R. 3061 would continue the authorization to FY 2002.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that these are worthy requests being made by 
H.R. 3061, and it will assist those in our government to protect 
refugees, but as well, to avoid the devastation of terrorism.
  With that, I would urge my colleagues to vote to support this 
important bill.
  Mr. Speaker, the Violent Crime Control Act of 1994 created a new 
``S'' nonimigrant visa classification. It permits up to 300 foreign 
nationals a year to enter the United States to provide information that 
is needed for the investigation and prosecution of criminal and 
terrorist organizations.
  The Violent Crime Control Act also permits the Attorney General to 
grant lawful permanent resident status to the foreign nationals who 
provide this assistance. This is available in cases where the 
information supplied substantially contributes to the prevention of an 
act of terrorism or to the success of an important criminal 
investigation or prosecution. This is necessary because many of these 
people are in danger in their home countries after they have cooperated 
with an investigation or testified in a criminal proceeding.
  One of the people who provided information under this program was a 
flight attendant who was in a plane on which a bomb had been placed. 
Her testimony led to the conviction of a major terrorist and other 
members of his terrorist organization. Another person in this program 
was an individual in a Central European capital who provided critical 
information about Russian organized crime syndicates. Another example 
is a group of hearing-impaired Mexicans who provided information about 
being smuggled into the United States by a family-based crime 
organization. When they arrived, they were forced to work without pay 
selling trinkets on the street.
  The bill also expresses the sense of Congress that the visas should 
be used in a greater number of alien smuggling investigations than has 
been done in the past.
  The S visa program ended on September 13, 1999. H.R. 3061 would 
extend the availability of this program for another two years, through 
September 13, 2001.
  This bill also reauthorizes the Refugee Resettlement Assistance 
Program which is administered by the Department of Health and Human 
Service's Office of Refugee Resettlement. Loss of these funds would be 
a disaster to the refugees who have come to our country seeking a safe 
haven from persecution. Appropriations to fund this program are 
currently authorized through FY 1999. H.R. 3061 would continue the 
authorization through FY 2002.
  I urge you to vote for this important bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 3061.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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