Tom Lantos: “as an enthusiastic Cosponsor of H.R. 633, I rise in strong support of this legislation and urge my colleagues to support…”

“as an enthusiastic Cosponsor of H.R. 633, I rise in strong support of this legislation and urge my colleagues to support its passage. The adoption of H.R. 633 is a simple matter of equity. It provides that a small number of diplomatic security agents at the Department of State will receive the same rate of annuity when they retire as other federal law enforcement officials now receive. The cost of the program is minimal and will be absorbed in the budget of the Department of State, but the fundamental issues is one of fairness. It is important, Mr. Speaker, to keep in mind that Diplomatic Security special agents are fully trained law enforcement officers with critical law enforcement responsibilities established in law. These agents have principal responsibilities for investigation, apprehension and detention of criminal suspects. They protect U.S. government personnel while traveling abroad, they protect our diplomatic facilities in foreign countries, they protect the integrity of foreign policy information, and they provide an important protective function in the United States for visiting foreign government leaders and our own diplomats. Mr. Speaker, I commend our distinguished colleagues, Mr. Davis and Mr. Moran of Virginia, for introducing this important piece of legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support its adoption.”