Richard Burr

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. Mr. Chairman, if I understand it, we could go through a cost-benefit analysis and judge something as not worthy of the attention of the Federal agency and in fact there might be something else that is prioritized out there that actually is in the best benefit of the American people.

Mr. BURR. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. I yield to the gentleman from New York.

Mr. BURR. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer a modification to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Florida and myself. In short, this amendment would include alien smuggling in the list of violent offenses that require a criminal alien to complete his sentence prior to execution of a final order of deportation. I would like to provide you with some facts about criminal aliens you may or may not already know. Approximately 27 percent of the Federal prison population is considered noncitizens. The American taxpayer pays almost half a billion dollars per year to feed, clothe, and house these inmates. Number of noncitizen Federal inmates, 22,326. Cost per inmate per year, $20,885. Cost per year for all noncitizen inmates, $466 million. Number of criminal aliens eligible for early deportation under this amendment, 15,774. Estimated maximum savings if Attorney General deports all eligible criminal aliens, $329 million. H.R. 668 is a good bill because it takes major strides toward quick and effective deportation of criminal aliens. It shortens the Attorney General's time limit for obtaining deportation orders, expands the definition of aggravated felony, and severely limits the types of relief from deportation the Attorney General can provide. However, it lacks the provisions necessary to deal with the unsettling realities I noted earlier. Specifically, the Foley-Burr amendment would give the Attorney General the ability, at her discretion, to execute a deportation order of a criminal alien prior to completion of his sentence. However, the Attorney General cannot deport a criminal alien early if the criminal alien has been convicted of a violent offense or, as my modification stipulates, alien smuggling. By making this distinction, we ensure that the worst of the criminal aliens receive their due punishment while alleviating a weighty financial burden on the taxpayer. Mr. Chairman, I urge acceptance of this modification which the gentleman from Florida graciously accepts, acceptance of this amendment to H.R. 668, and support for the bill itself.

Mr. BURR. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment to the amendment.

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Allard-Graham amendment. I believe that this amendment will halt overzealous regulators that pass unfunded mandates to our local communities. This amendment strengthens H.R. 5, by forcing Federal regulators to be fiscally responsible as well. Under this amendment, regulators will be required to reference a specific law before passing unfunded mandates onto the State and local officials. In my district, I had a county commission that was forced to raise taxes on its citizens, not from an unfunded Federal mandate, but from an unfunded regulatory agency mandate. In Caldwell County, the Environmental Protection Agency forced the commission to place a clay liner on its land fill. Protection was not at issue. Instead, the issue was why a clay liner? Why was it necessary to use a material not available in the area? Why not look for and use and equally reliable material to reduce the $6 million cost to this community? And most importantly, what law gave the EPA the right to mandate this community? The fact is, a lack of legislation allowed this to occur. By supporting the Allard-Graham amendment, you can put an end to this ``taxation without representation''. Mr. Chairman, I urge strong support for this amendment.

Mr. BURR. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. Mr. Speaker, today we will continue consideration of H.R. 5, the Unfunded Mandate Reform Act. I am pleased to be a cosponsor of this legislation that is embodied in the Republican Contract with America. I have received letters from the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Conference of State Legislators, as well as the Democratic Governor of my home State, North Carolina, the Honorable Jim Hunt, all expressing strong support for this legislation. Governor Hunt articulated the problem well when he said, ``While these mandates may reflect well-intentioned policy goals, they often imposed substantial costs and regulatory burdens on the States that deny them the right and responsibility to set the priorities that best meet the needs of our citizens.'' For too many years we in Congress have made laws that we did not hold ourselves accountable to and then mandated to both the State and local governments, as well as the private sector, that they not only abide by the laws, but also come up with the money to pay for them.

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. Mr. Speaker, in our Contract With America, my Republican colleagues and I promised that on the first day of the 104th Congress we would make dramatic changes in the way Congress does business. Yesterday, during my first day as a new Representative from North Carolina's Fifth Congressional District, we kept our word. We voted to make Congress live under the laws it imposed on the rest of the country, to cut congressional committee staffs by one-third, and to limit the term of committee chairmen, and yes, the Speaker of the House. Our first day in office was the most productive first day in congressional history, and I was encouraged that many of the reforms were supported by Republicans and Democrats alike. During the next 99 days and throughout the next 2 years we now face the challenge of passing the reforms demanded by my constituents and by all the American people. The American people want and deserve the reforms. Today I urge my colleagues to join me in fulfilling the wish of the American people.