Der Alte
01-28-2003, 03:00 PM
The following is a new fairus news release.
FAIR Legislative Update
January 28, 2003
Senate Approves Budget Cuts in Entry-Exit System for Foreign Nationals
The Senate late last week approved H. J. Res 2, an omnibus appropriations bill to fund the federal government for the balance of the current fiscal year. Included in this package are deep cuts in a swath of programs across most federal agencies. Initially, appropriators included massive cuts in the Entry-Exit system that was just enacted last year in the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002. However, during debate on the bill, Senators John Kyl (R-AZ) and John McCain (R-AZ) succeeded in getting an amendment cleared that restored some, but not all, of the funds needed to fully implement this important homeland security program.
Unfortunately, Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) managed to insert language into that same Kyl-McCain amendment preventing the use of any money to continue operating the first stage of implementation of the entry-exit system. The first stage is the National Security Entry-Exit Registry System (NSEERS). It requires foreign nationals from 25 predominantly Muslim nations believed to sponsor or harbor terrorists to register with the INS. In recent weeks, this program has enabled the detection and detention of both terrorists and visa-overstaying illegal aliens.
Opponents of NSEERS, including much of the media, most Democrats and some others object to the program charging it is "racial profiling." In doing so, they are apparently willing to ignore just where the greatest current threat of terrorism against the United States comes from. These opponents are also conveniently ignoring the fact that NSEERS is just the first step in implementing a system designed eventually to require all foreign visitors to register with federal authorities, regardless of country of origin.
Now the House and Senate must iron out differences in a conference before the final bill can be approved and sent to the President for enactment into law. The conference deliberations are expected to take between two and three weeks. At this stage the President supports the exit-entry system as well as NSEERS and we anticipate the House conferees will resist the cuts made by the Senate. As this issue further develops, we will alert you to the steps you can take in helping to defeat the Senate-passed cuts.
Senate Finance Committee to Hold Hearing on Border Security
Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) has scheduled a full Senate Finance Committee hearing at 10http://gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif0 a.m. on Thursday, January 30. The hearing will attempt to evaluate whether the responsible agencies are doing their best to secure the nation's borders. The committee's inquiry will focus on the transport of counterfeit money and other items in commerce that can assist or fund terrorist activities. Witnesses will include representatives from the Interior Department, INS, Customs and National Park Services, General Accounting Office as well as the Inspector General of the Interior Department. Please forward this message to interested friends, acquaintances, and email lists. For current immigration news, please visit the SteinReport. You can visit our website at FAIR or go to the Legislative Action Center to find your representatives and local media contact information. For other information, call FAIR's legislative department at (202) 328-7004.
Time is short - write your Reps and Senators.
FAIR Legislative Update
January 28, 2003
Senate Approves Budget Cuts in Entry-Exit System for Foreign Nationals
The Senate late last week approved H. J. Res 2, an omnibus appropriations bill to fund the federal government for the balance of the current fiscal year. Included in this package are deep cuts in a swath of programs across most federal agencies. Initially, appropriators included massive cuts in the Entry-Exit system that was just enacted last year in the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002. However, during debate on the bill, Senators John Kyl (R-AZ) and John McCain (R-AZ) succeeded in getting an amendment cleared that restored some, but not all, of the funds needed to fully implement this important homeland security program.
Unfortunately, Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) managed to insert language into that same Kyl-McCain amendment preventing the use of any money to continue operating the first stage of implementation of the entry-exit system. The first stage is the National Security Entry-Exit Registry System (NSEERS). It requires foreign nationals from 25 predominantly Muslim nations believed to sponsor or harbor terrorists to register with the INS. In recent weeks, this program has enabled the detection and detention of both terrorists and visa-overstaying illegal aliens.
Opponents of NSEERS, including much of the media, most Democrats and some others object to the program charging it is "racial profiling." In doing so, they are apparently willing to ignore just where the greatest current threat of terrorism against the United States comes from. These opponents are also conveniently ignoring the fact that NSEERS is just the first step in implementing a system designed eventually to require all foreign visitors to register with federal authorities, regardless of country of origin.
Now the House and Senate must iron out differences in a conference before the final bill can be approved and sent to the President for enactment into law. The conference deliberations are expected to take between two and three weeks. At this stage the President supports the exit-entry system as well as NSEERS and we anticipate the House conferees will resist the cuts made by the Senate. As this issue further develops, we will alert you to the steps you can take in helping to defeat the Senate-passed cuts.
Senate Finance Committee to Hold Hearing on Border Security
Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) has scheduled a full Senate Finance Committee hearing at 10http://gopusa.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif0 a.m. on Thursday, January 30. The hearing will attempt to evaluate whether the responsible agencies are doing their best to secure the nation's borders. The committee's inquiry will focus on the transport of counterfeit money and other items in commerce that can assist or fund terrorist activities. Witnesses will include representatives from the Interior Department, INS, Customs and National Park Services, General Accounting Office as well as the Inspector General of the Interior Department. Please forward this message to interested friends, acquaintances, and email lists. For current immigration news, please visit the SteinReport. You can visit our website at FAIR or go to the Legislative Action Center to find your representatives and local media contact information. For other information, call FAIR's legislative department at (202) 328-7004.
Time is short - write your Reps and Senators.