Senate Approves Its Former Sergeant-at-Arms as INS Commissioner
Senators approved the nomination of former Senate Sergeant-at-Arms James Ziglar on Tuesday as the new Immigration and Naturalization Service commissioner.
Ziglar got a standing ovation from the senators after they approved his nomination by voice vote. “On behalf of the entire Senate, we wish Jim Ziglar well in his new role and new responsibilities,” said Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), whose sentiments were echoed by Minority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.).
Ziglar has been Senate sergeant-at-arms, the chief of protocol and law enforcement officer of the chamber, since 1998.
The INS has come under fire for backlogs in its citizenship, visa and other processes. Lawmakers cited Ziglar’s 35 years of management experience as a key asset that will be critical should Congress decide to split the agency’s service and enforcement responsibilities.
Ziglar, a native of Pascagoula, Miss., worked as managing director of PaineWebber and has held several government positions, including assistant secretary of the Interior for water and science.
Immigration advocacy groups have been concerned about Ziglar’s lack of immigration experience but have not been overly critical.
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