[House Report 106-961]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]





106th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     106-961

======================================================================



 
 FOR THE RELIEF OF MRS. ELIZABETH EKA BASSEY, EMMANUEL O. PAUL BASSEY, 
                     AND MARY IDONGESIT PAUL BASSEY

                                _______
                                

 October 11, 2000.--Referred to the Private Calendar and ordered to be 
                                printed

                                _______
                                

Mr. Smith of Texas, from the Committee on the Judiciary, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                         [To accompany S. 1078]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the 
bill (S. 1078) for the relief of Mrs. Elizabeth Eka Bassey, 
Emmanuel O. Paul Bassey, and Mary Idongesit Paul Bassey, having 
considered the same, reports favorably thereon without 
amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.

                           TABLE OF CONTENTS

                                                                  

                                                                 Page
Purpose and Summary........................................           1
Background and Need for the Legislation....................           1
Committee Consideration....................................           2
Committee Oversight Findings...............................           2
Committee on Government Reform Findings....................           2
New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures..................           2
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate..................           3
Constitutional Authority Statement.........................           3
Agency Views...............................................           3

                          Purpose and Summary

    S. 1078 would allow Mrs. Elizabeth Eks Bassey, Emmanuel O. 
Paul Bassey and Mary Idongesit Paul Bassey to adjust to 
permanent resident status.

                Background and Need for the Legislation

    Paul Bassey and his wife Elizabeth were career employees 
with the U.S. Department of State. Mr. Bassey was a Nigerian 
citizen employed with the U.S. government since 1961. In 1991 
Mr. Bassey received special immigrant status from the State 
Department in recognition of his service to the U.S. 
Government. He was approved for an employment 4th preference 
visa petition as a result of his special immigrant status. 
During that same year, Zaire erupted into a civil war and the 
American Embassy began evacuating Americans and employees of 
the embassy. Due to the emergency circumstances, the Embassy 
was working on a skeleton staff and was desperate for help. 
Embassy officials asked Mr. Bassey to delay his retirement for 
another year to help them through the crisis. Despite the grave 
danger and hardship for him and his family, Mr. Bassey agreed. 
In May 1992, Mr. Bassey died of a heart attack prior to 
immigrating to the US under his approved special immigrant 
status. Mrs. Bassey and the children were advised that they 
were ineligible for special immigrant status, although all 
would have qualified had they been accompanying Mr. Bassey to 
the U.S. The only available remedy is private legislation.
    The beneficiary, Mrs. Bassey, is a native and citizen of 
Nigeria. Mrs. Bassey and her daughter Mary (age 17) were 
paroled into the US on December 18, 1993, for humanitarian 
reasons and they have remained in the US since that date. Mrs. 
Bassey's parole was extended until August 9, 2000. She is 
currently living in Raleigh, NC with Mary and Jacob. Jacob 
Bassey (age 26) entered the US on August 14, 1991 with a F-1 
student visa and has remained in the US since that date. 
Emmanuel Bassey (age 29) entered the US on January 8, 1989, on 
a F-1 student visa and lives alone in Chapel Hill, NC. 
Elizabeth was a career employee with the US Government having 
served the American Embassy in Zaire for 12 years in the Joint 
Administrative Office (JAO) and received a distinguished honor 
award for her work at the American Embassy.

                        Committee Consideration

    On October 11, 2000, the Committee on the Judiciary met in 
open session and ordered reported favorably the bill S. 1078 
without amendment by voice vote, a quorum being present.

                      Committee Oversight Findings

    In compliance with clause 2(l)(3)(A) of rule XI of the 
Rules of the House of Representatives, the committee reports 
that the findings and recommendations of the committee, based 
on oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the 
Rules of the House of Representatives, are incorporated in the 
descriptive portions of this report.

                Committee on Government Reform Findings

    No findings or recommendations of the Committee on 
Government Reform and Oversight were received as referred to in 
clause 2(l)(3)(D) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives.

               New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures

    Clause 2(l)(3)(B) of House Rule XI is inapplicable because 
this legislation does not provide new budgetary authority or 
increased tax expenditures.

               Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

    In compliance with clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives, the committee believes that 
the bill would have no significant impact on the Federal 
budget. This is based on the Congressional Budget Office cost 
estimate on S. 1078. That Congressional Budget Office cost 
estimate follows:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                  Washington, DC, October 11, 2000.
Hon. Henry J. Hyde, Chairman,
Committee on the Judiciary,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
reviewed 11 private relief acts, which were ordered reported by 
the House Committee on the Judiciary on October 11, 2000. CBO 
estimates that their enactment would have no significant impact 
on the federal budget. These acts could have a very small 
effect on fees collected by the Immigration and Naturalization 
Service and on benefits paid under certain federal entitlement 
programs. Because these fees and expenditures are classified as 
direct spending, pay-as-you-go procedures would apply. The act 
reviewed is:

         LS. 1078, an act for the relief of Mrs. 
        Elizabeth Eka Bassey, Emmanuel O. Paul Bassey, and Mary 
        Idongesit Paul Bassey;

    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark 
Grabowicz, who can be reached at 226-2860. This estimate was 
approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for 
Budget Analysis.
            Sincerely,
                                  Dan L. Crippen, Director.

cc:
        Honorable John Conyers Jr.
        Ranking Democratic Member

                   Constitutional Authority Statement

    Pursuant to rule XI, clause 2(1)(4) of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the committee finds the authority for 
this legislation in article 1, section 8, clause 4 of the 
Constitution.

                              Agency Views

    The comments of the Immigration and Naturalization Service 
on S. 1078 are as follows:

                        U.S. Department of Justice,
                    Immigration and Naturalization Service,
                                Washington, DC, September 30, 1999.
Hon. Orrin Hatch, Chairman,
Committee on the Judiciary,
United States Senate, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: This is in reference to your request for 
a report relative to S. 1078, for the relief of Elizabeth 
Bassey and her children, Emmanuel, Jacob, and Mary.
    The bill would grant the beneficiaries having been lawfully 
admitted to the United States for permanent residence as of the 
date of the enactment of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
upon payment of the required visa fees. The bill would also 
direct the proper visa number deduction.
            Sincerely,
                                  Allen Erenbaum, Director,
                                   Congressional Relations.

Enclosure

cc:
        Department of State, Visa Office
        District Director--Atlanta, GA

 Memorandum of information from immigration and naturalization service 
                           files re: s. 1078

    The beneficiary, Elizabeth Eka Bassey, is a native and 
citizen of Nigeria. Ms. Bassey was born in Uyo, Nigeria, now 
called Buea, Cameroon, on June 28, 1952. She currently resides 
at 3907 Charleston Park Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina with her 
daughter, Mary Idongesit Bassey, and her son, Jacob Paul 
Bassey, also beneficiaries of S. 1078. Ms. Bassey is currently 
employed by Forest Glen Health Care Center in Garner, North 
Carolina as a Nurse Assistant, with an income of about $38,000 
a year. The beneficiary was paroled into the United States on 
December 18, 1993, at New York, New York for humanitarian 
reasons and has remained in the United States since that date. 
Her parole was extended until August 9, 2000 at Charlotte, 
North Carolina on August 10, 1999. Assets and liabilities 
include a home in Raleigh, North Carolina, $125,000; a 1998 
Nissan, $19,000; a home in Nigeria, $100,000; personal 
property, $60,000; and other debts (credit cards), $8,000.
    The beneficiary, Mary Idongesit Bassey, is a native of 
Zaire and citizen of Nigeria. Mary was born in Kinshasa, Zaire 
on January 14, 1983. She currently resides with her mother and 
brother in Raleigh, North Carolina. Mary is currently attending 
Millbrook High School in Raleigh, North Carolina. The 
beneficiary was paroled into the United States on December 18, 
1993, at New York, New York for humanitarian reasons and has 
remained in the United States since that date.
    The beneficiary, Jacob Paul Bassey, is a native of Cameroon 
and citizen on Nigeria. Jacob was born in Yaounde, Cameroon on 
June 5, 1973. He currently resides with his mother and sister 
in Raleigh, North Carolina. Jacob is currently employed as an 
Account Executive at Security Education Institute, Inc. in 
Durham, North Carolina with an income of about $27,000 a year. 
The beneficiary entered the United States at New York, New York 
on August 14, 1991 as a student (F-1 visa) and has remained in 
the United States since that date. Assets and liabilities 
include a 1995 Pontiac, $9,000; and personal property, $20,000.
    The beneficiary, Emmanuel Paul Bassey, is a native and 
citizen on Nigeria. Emmanuel was born in Uyo, Nigeria, now 
called Buea, Cameroon, on July 20, 1970. He currently resides 
by himself at 102 B Weatherstone Drive, Chapel Hill, North 
Carolina. Emmanuel is currently employed as an Account Manager 
at ChildCare Services Association in Chapel Hill, North 
Carolina with an income of about $39,000 a year. The 
beneficiary entered the United States at New York, New York on 
January 8, 1989, as a student (F-1 visa) under the name 
Emmanuel Okon Paul, and has remained in the United States since 
that date. Assets and liabilities include a 1998 Toyota, 
$33,000; personal property, $10,000; and credit card debts, 
$2,500.
    All family members are beneficiaries of S. 1078. The 
beneficiaries have no criminal history in the National Crime 
Information Center system, and at this time, investigative 
inquiries from the CIA and FBI are still pending. If positive 
information indicated, a copy of the response will be forwarded 
for review.

                                
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