Lynn Schenk: “Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this amendment and commend the leadership and the hard work of my colleague…”

“Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this amendment and commend the leadership and the hard work of my colleague and neighbor, the gentleman from California [Mr. Hunter]. Mr. Chairman, last year we successfully offered an amendment which increased INS appropriations by $60 million. Today the gentleman's amendment would authorize the hiring of an additional 6,000 Border Patrol agents and support staff. This type of Federal commitment is long overdue and sorely needed by the agents themselves and by those communities such as ours located on or near the border. Mr. Chairman, historically the Border Patrol has not received funding commensurate with its tremendous responsibilities in preventing illegal injury into the United States. In 1992, the Border Patrol apprehended over 1.2 million people attempting to enter our country illegally. In addition, the Border Patrol agents also have primary responsibility for drug interdiction. Mr. Chairman, this issue is of particular interest to those of us such as the gentlemen from California, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Cunningham, Mr. Packard, Mr. Filner, and myself who represent the San Diego-Tijuana border region, the Nation's busiest and most violent border zone.”