Should the House of Representatives reestablish its Committee on Internal Security to strengthen congressional oversight in dealing with crime and terrorism? Or can existing committees N provide the necessary supervision? t Citing rampant terrorism abroad and recent bomb incidents in this country, Rep. John M. Ashbrook, R- hio, has called for passage of legislation to recreate the internal security panel disbanded June 15, 1957. One of the congressman’s concerns is the presence of “millions of ilegal aliens” in the country. Immigration laws and enforcement need to be tightened to prevent entry of potential terrorists, he says. Ashbrook notes that the House voted in 1974 to keep the Internal Security Committee but claims the panel was eliminated by parliamentary sleight of hand” by the Democratic leadership in adopting rules of the House for the 94th Congress. Legislation for reviving the committee, reintroduced by Ashbrook in Januar , reposes in House Rules Committee files. “If members of the House are given the opportunity to record their votes, I am confident the committee will be re-established,” he says. But the Ohioan’s severalyear effort apparently has not stirred wide response. For one thing, it bucks a current trend to reduce the federal bureaucrac rather than adding committees. The U.S. Senate reflected new awareness of the security problem last January by reactivating its Subcommittee on Security and Terrorism. But Sen. Jake Gam, RUtah, commenting on the Ashbrook plan, says he believes existing committees provide an adequate framework for dealing with congressional oversight without creating new ones. One of Asbbrook’s arguments is that the intemal security duties were transferred to the House Judiciary Committee but the latter hasn’t really addressed the issue. The important thing is that Congress and all agencies dea ing with security be alert to the terrorist. problem .. and that responsibllity be fixed. Maybe congressional debate on the Ashbrook bill will put the duty squarely in someones shoulders even if the law-makers choose not to adopt the measure.