Mr. SLACK. Mr. Russell, you too, I believe, have a prepared state ment. Mr. RUSSELL. Yes, Mr. Chairman Mr. SLACK. Please proceed, Mr. Russell. Mr. RUSSELL. Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, I appreciate the opportunity to appear in support of the U.S. Attorneys and Marshals supplemental budget request of $957,000 for fiscal year 1977. This supplemental appropriation is required for an increase in per diem and mileage allowances and increased charges by the General Services Administration (GSA) for special services and occupied space. Of the total requested, $185,000 is for increased per diem and mileage allowances. The Travel Expense Amendments Act of 1975 (Public Law 94-22) enacted May 19, 1975, authorized the per diem allowance for travel within the continental United States at a rate not to exceed $35 and a mileage allowance not to exceed 20 cents a mile for privately owned automobiles. The Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) has the authority to establish the rates within the constraints of the public law. As of October 3, 1976, GSA revised the per diem allowance and mileage for travel within the continental United States; the per diem allowance was revised from $33 to $35 per day and the mileage allowance from 15 cents to 152 cents per mile. The $185,000 request provides $55,000 for the U.S. Attorneys and $130.000 for the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS). The remaining $772,000 is to maintain the level of services approved by the Congress for the fiscal year 1977 appropriation for the USMS. The 1977 budget enacted for the Marshals Service included $3.9 million for space and guard services. As it is necessary to commit funds for space in advance, the magnitude of such an increase in the operating years makes it impossible to take any measures other than a drastic curtailment in the services rendered the public and judiciary if the Service is to stay within the funds currently appropriated for the Marshals Service. The requested increase will allow the Service to maintain the same level of services as approved by the Congress for fiscal year 1977 should the level of GSA charges stabilize at $4.7 million. The U.S. Marshals Service occupies 329 space facilities throughout the United States and its territories including three sites housing the USMS Headquarters, two regional offices, 94 district offices, and 230 district suboffices. Space requirements vary widely from location to location ranging from a one-room unmanned suboffice in outlying areas to the Washington, D.C. district office with space for 200 personnel. These sites include office space for over 2,000 employees, storage area for seized property, detention areas to house non-sentenced Federal prisoners, and parking space for GSA vehicles used by the Service. The Service's space requirements are impacted by the availability of GSA space and the needs of the judiciary as well as the needs of the Service. It is mandatory that the offices of the marshals be within close proximity of the courts and that adequate detention facilities and office space be adjacent or in close proximity to the courts. This concludes my statement, Mr. Chairman. I shall be happy to answer any questions you or other members of the subcommittee may Mr. SLACK. I will ask a couple of questions, if I may. U.S. MARSHALS SPACE REQUEST Mr. SLACK. The entire request involves travel and per diem and standard level user charges which we discussed this morning, I believe. The request for funds for standard level user charges does involve additional space for U.S. marshals, does it not? Mr. RUSSELL. Yes, sir. Mr. SLACK. Do you have any further comments on that request? Mr. RUSSELL. The additional space we are requesting is required for support of the Judiciary. Where modifications and renovations are occurring in court buildings, and the space for the Judiciary is expanded, the Marshals Service will have to expand their facilities to meet the needs of the Judiciary. To do that, we will have to acquire a little more square footage than we currently have. Mr. SLACK. Are there questions? WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1977. IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE WITNESSES GENERAL LEONARD F. CHAPMAN, JR., COMMISSIONER CARL J. WACK, JR., ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER, EXAMINATIONS LEONARD T. PULLEY, SR., BUDGET OFFICER ALFRED H. REED, ACCOUNTING OFFICER GLEN E. POMMERENING, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR ADMINISTRATION WILLIAM D. VAN STAVOREN, ACTING DIRECTOR, MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS AND BUDGET STAFF GILBERT M. LEIGH, JR., DEPUTY DIRECTOR, MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS AND BUDGET STAFF IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE Mr. SLACK. The next item is a request for additional funds for the Immigration and Naturalization Service in the amount of $2,100,000. We shall insert at this point in the record the justification under the tab entitled "Immigration and Naturalization Service". [The justification follows:] IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE SALARIES AND EXPENSES For an additional amount for "Salaries and expenses", $2,100,000. |