WASHINGTON, 17 (AP) - Two prominent Democratic House members assailed the Clinton administration on Thursday for its failure to return Elian Gonzalez to Cuba many weeks after concluding that he belongs with his father on the island.
Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif, said Immigration and Naturalization Services Commissioner Doris Meissner made the right decision in early January in ruling that the boy should be sent back.
'But she literally has botched it in not expediting her own decision,'' Waters said. She also criticized Attorney General Janet Reno for not using her authority to send Elian back. There was no immediate response from immigration officials to Waters' comments.
Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., said he finds it difficult to believe Justice and Immigration officials ``cannot determine the legal status of a foreign child coming into the United States in terms of custody.''
Rangel said he was surprised and disappointed as a former federal prosecutor that the U.S. government would place ``any child, foreign or American, in the hands of adults that had have questionable backgrounds.''
This was a reference to records that show Lazaro Gonzalez, a great-uncle, and his brother, Delfin Gonzalez, have been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol twice in the past decade. Two of Elian's cousins, Jose and Luis Cid, have also been in trouble. Both have been arrested
several times on felony charges.
Cuban officials have expressed the same criticism as Rangel and this week asked the State Department to allow Cuban consular officials to visit the boy to check on his condition. The State Department is evaluating the request.
Waters and Rangel were joined by other Democratic House members and by representatives of church and children's rights groups in denouncing at a news conference the continuing stalemate over Elian since his rescue from sea almost three months ago.
Waters turned up at the event wearing a red-framed button with Elian's picture and an inscription insisting that the boy be sent back.
Elian survived a crossing from Cuba last November but his mother drowned when their boat capsized.
A federal judge is expected to hear arguments Feb. 22 and decide whether the lawsuit filed on behalf of Elian by his Miami relatives should go forward.
Many people in Miami and elsewhere believe it would be cruel to send Elian back to a country which does not adhere to democratic values.
Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., took aim at lawmakers who are taking steps to grant citizenship to Elian in an effort to strip the INS of jurisdiction in the case.
Asserting that there are 9 million undocumented aliens in the United States, Serrano said that if Elian is granted citizenship, he will try to amend the legislation to ensure that all aliens are awarded permanent residency on the same day.
Rep. Julia Carson, D-Ind., said, ``The relationship between father and son is the one we should focus on, not the relationship between the United States and Cuba.''
Also addressing the news conference was Walter Benda, an American father who said he feels solidarity with Elian's father because he has suffered a similar loss. Benda said his two daughters were abducted by their mother in Japan several years ago. His efforts to reestablish a relationship with
them through legal means have failed, he said.
AP-NY-02-17-00 1733EST
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