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| G'bye, INS. You're toast. |
| 2002-04-26 |
| Congress took the first major step in abolishing the Immigration and Naturalization Service yesterday when the House voted to split it into separate bureaus, one to handle law enforcement and one to administer immigration services. The measure passed 405-9, with only one Republican, seven Democrats and one independent voting against it. Proposals to reform the INS have been pending for years, but it took the terrorist attacks of September 11 to turn the issue into a matter of national security and put it on a fast legislative track. "The public no longer has confidence in the INS," said Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., Wisconsin Republican and author of the bill. "The public is right, and this bill abolishes this agency." Senators are working on a similar bill, and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat, has called for a hearing next week in the Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on immigration to discuss the legislation he is writing with Sen. Sam Brownback, Kansas Republican. Isn't it about damned time? |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |