89–007

106TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 106–961

FOR THE RELIEF OF MRS. ELIZABETH EKA BASSEY, EMMANUEL O. PAUL BASSEY, AND MARY IDONGESIT PAUL

BASSEY

OCTOBER 11, 2000.—Referred to the Private Calendar and ordered to be printed

Mr. SMITH of Texas, from the Committee on the Judiciary,

submitted the following

R E P O R T

[To accompany S. 1078]

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill

(S. 1078) for the relief of Mrs. Elizabeth Eka Bassey, Emmanuel

O. Paul Bassey, and Mary Idongesit Paul Bassey, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and

recommends that the bill do pass.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Purpose and Summary .............................................................................. 1

Background and Need for the Legislation ................................................ 1

Committee Consideration .......................................................................... 2

Committee Oversight Findings ................................................................. 2

Committee on Government Reform Findings .......................................... 2

New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures ........................................ 2

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate ............................................ 3

Constitutional Authority Statement ......................................................... 3

Agency Views .............................................................................................. 3

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

S. 1078 would allow Mrs. Elizabeth Eks Bassey, Emmanuel O.

Paul Bassey and Mary Idongesit Paul Bassey to adjust to permanent resident status.

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR THE LEGISLATION

Paul Bassey and his wife Elizabeth were career employees with

the U.S. Department of State. Mr. Bassey was a Nigerian citizen

2

employed with the U.S. government since 1961. In 1991 Mr. Bassey

received special immigrant status from the State Department in

recognition of his service to the U.S. Government. He was approved

for an employment 4th preference visa petition as a result of his

special immigrant status. During that same year, Zaire erupted

into a civil war and the American Embassy began evacuating

Americans and employees of the embassy. Due to the emergency

circumstances, the Embassy was working on a skeleton staff and

was desperate for help. Embassy officials asked Mr. Bassey to

delay his retirement for another year to help them through the crisis. Despite the grave danger and hardship for him and his family,

Mr. Bassey agreed. In May 1992, Mr. Bassey died of a heart attack

prior to immigrating to the US under his approved special immigrant status. Mrs. Bassey and the children were advised that they

were ineligible for special immigrant status, although all would

have qualified had they been accompanying Mr. Bassey to the U.S.

The only available remedy is private legislation.

The beneficiary, Mrs. Bassey, is a native and citizen of Nigeria.

Mrs. Bassey and her daughter Mary (age 17) were paroled into the

US on December 18, 1993, for humanitarian reasons and they have

remained in the US since that date. Mrs. Bassey’s parole was extended until August 9, 2000. She is currently living in Raleigh, NC

with Mary and Jacob. Jacob Bassey (age 26) entered the US on August 14, 1991 with a F–1 student visa and has remained in the US

since that date. Emmanuel Bassey (age 29) entered the US on January 8, 1989, on a F–1 student visa and lives alone in Chapel Hill,

NC. Elizabeth was a career employee with the US Government

having served the American Embassy in Zaire for 12 years in the

Joint Administrative Office (JAO) and received a distinguished

honor award for her work at the American Embassy.

COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

On October 11, 2000, the Committee on the Judiciary met in

open session and ordered reported favorably the bill S. 1078 without amendment by voice vote, a quorum being present.

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

In compliance with clause 2(l)(3)(A) of rule XI of the Rules of the

House of Representatives, the committee reports that the findings

and recommendations of the committee, based on oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, are incorporated in the descriptive portions of this report.

COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM FINDINGS

No findings or recommendations of the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight were received as referred to in clause

2(l)(3)(D) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives.

NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY AND TAX EXPENDITURES

Clause 2(l)(3)(B) of House Rule XI is inapplicable because this

legislation does not provide new budgetary authority or increased

tax expenditures.

3

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

In compliance with clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the

House of Representatives, the committee believes that the bill

would have no significant impact on the Federal budget. This is

based on the Congressional Budget Office cost estimate on S. 1078.

That Congressional Budget Office cost estimate follows:

U.S. CONGRESS,

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE,

Washington, DC, October 11, 2000.

Hon. HENRY J. HYDE, Chairman,

Committee on the Judiciary,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has reviewed 11 private relief acts, which were ordered reported by the

House Committee on the Judiciary on October 11, 2000. CBO estimates that their enactment would have no significant impact on

the federal budget. These acts could have a very small effect on

fees collected by the Immigration and Naturalization Service and

on benefits paid under certain federal entitlement programs. Because these fees and expenditures are classified as direct spending,

pay-as-you-go procedures would apply. The act reviewed is:

• S. 1078, an act for the relief of Mrs. Elizabeth Eka Bassey,

Emmanuel O. Paul Bassey, and Mary Idongesit Paul Bassey;

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark Grabowicz, who

can be reached at 226–2860. This estimate was approved by Peter

H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

Sincerely,

DAN L. CRIPPEN, Director.

cc: Honorable John Conyers Jr.

Ranking Democratic Member

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Pursuant to rule XI, clause 2(1)(4) of the Rules of the House of

Representatives, the committee finds the authority for this legislation in article 1, section 8, clause 4 of the Constitution.

AGENCY VIEWS

The comments of the Immigration and Naturalization Service on

S. 1078 are as follows:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE,

IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE,

Washington, DC, September 30, 1999.

Hon. ORRIN HATCH, Chairman,

Committee on the Judiciary,

United States Senate, Washington, DC.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This is in reference to your request for a

report relative to S. 1078, for the relief of Elizabeth Bassey and her

children, Emmanuel, Jacob, and Mary.

4

The bill would grant the beneficiaries having been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence as of the date

of the enactment of the Immigration and Nationality Act upon payment of the required visa fees. The bill would also direct the proper

visa number deduction.

Sincerely,

ALLEN ERENBAUM, Director,

Congressional Relations.

Enclosure

cc: Department of State, Visa Office

District Director—Atlanta, GA

MEMORANDUM OF INFORMATION FROM IMMIGRATION AND

NATURALIZATION SERVICE FILES RE: S. 1078

The beneficiary, Elizabeth Eka Bassey, is a native and citizen of

Nigeria. Ms. Bassey was born in Uyo, Nigeria, now called Buea,

Cameroon, on June 28, 1952. She currently resides at 3907

Charleston Park Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina with her daughter,

Mary Idongesit Bassey, and her son, Jacob Paul Bassey, also beneficiaries of S. 1078. Ms. Bassey is currently employed by Forest

Glen Health Care Center in Garner, North Carolina as a Nurse Assistant, with an income of about $38,000 a year. The beneficiary

was paroled into the United States on December 18, 1993, at New

York, New York for humanitarian reasons and has remained in the

United States since that date. Her parole was extended until August 9, 2000 at Charlotte, North Carolina on August 10, 1999. Assets and liabilities include a home in Raleigh, North Carolina,

$125,000; a 1998 Nissan, $19,000; a home in Nigeria, $100,000;

personal property, $60,000; and other debts (credit cards), $8,000.

The beneficiary, Mary Idongesit Bassey, is a native of Zaire and

citizen of Nigeria. Mary was born in Kinshasa, Zaire on January

14, 1983. She currently resides with her mother and brother in Raleigh, North Carolina. Mary is currently attending Millbrook High

School in Raleigh, North Carolina. The beneficiary was paroled into

the United States on December 18, 1993, at New York, New York

for humanitarian reasons and has remained in the United States

since that date.

The beneficiary, Jacob Paul Bassey, is a native of Cameroon and

citizen on Nigeria. Jacob was born in Yaounde, Cameroon on June

5, 1973. He currently resides with his mother and sister in Raleigh,

North Carolina. Jacob is currently employed as an Account Executive at Security Education Institute, Inc. in Durham, North Carolina with an income of about $27,000 a year. The beneficiary entered the United States at New York, New York on August 14,

1991 as a student (F–1 visa) and has remained in the United

States since that date. Assets and liabilities include a 1995 Pontiac, $9,000; and personal property, $20,000.

The beneficiary, Emmanuel Paul Bassey, is a native and citizen

on Nigeria. Emmanuel was born in Uyo, Nigeria, now called Buea,

Cameroon, on July 20, 1970. He currently resides by himself at 102

B Weatherstone Drive, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Emmanuel is

currently employed as an Account Manager at ChildCare Services

Association in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with an income of about

$39,000 a year. The beneficiary entered the United States at New

5

York, New York on January 8, 1989, as a student (F–1 visa) under

the name Emmanuel Okon Paul, and has remained in the United

States since that date. Assets and liabilities include a 1998 Toyota,

$33,000; personal property, $10,000; and credit card debts, $2,500.

All family members are beneficiaries of S. 1078. The beneficiaries

have no criminal history in the National Crime Information Center

system, and at this time, investigative inquiries from the CIA and

FBI are still pending. If positive information indicated, a copy of

the response will be forwarded for review.

Æ