Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007

FOREIGN RELATIONS AUTHORIZATION ACT, FISCAL YEARS 2006 AND 2007 -- (House of Representatives - July 19, 2005)

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Mr. TERRY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Kennedy-Hooley Amendment to H.R. 2601.

The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that 90 percent of the meth available in Nebraska is trafficked from superlabs operated by drug cartels in Mexico, California, and the southwestern states. Local law enforcement officers face that challenge of dismantling home-based meth labs while combating the flow of meth from international drug trafficking.

The Kennedy-Hooley amendment will help give local law enforcement officers the tools they need to combat meth. It requires the U.S. State Department to report and certify that countries heavily involved in the import or export of pseudoephedrine-a key meth ingredient-are cooperating with local law enforcement agencies to prevent its misuse and diversion. Countries that do not comply would be subject to consequences under the Foreign Assistance Act.

In Omaha, Nebraska, seven of nine law enforcement jurisdictions identify meth as the drug that most contributes to violent crime. Omaha policemen tell me that meth is now the drug of choice for gangs in North Omaha, replacing crack cocaine and heroin. Sixty percent of inmates in Nebraska jails have problems with meth, and the toll on families in Nebraska is incalculable.

I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for the Kennedy-Hooley amendment to help stop meth smuggling for Mexican drug cartels, and support our law enforcement officers.

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Mr. TERRY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Hooley-Souder amendment to H.R. 2601. I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks.

This amendment will authorize $4 million in 2006 and 2007 to help prevent the smuggling of methamphetamine from Mexico to the United States. It authorizes the Secretary of State to work with Mexican government and law enforcement officials to improve their abilities to fight the production and trafficking of meth.

The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that 90 percent of the meth available in my home state of Nebraska is trafficked from Mexico, California and the southwestern states. Nationwide, 65 percent of available meth was smuggled into the U.S. by Mexican drug cartels and gangs.

During a routine traffic stop last January, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office in Nebraska seized five pounds of meth from two Mexican nationals who had concealed the drug inside a spare tire in the trunk. In March, an 8-month investigation culminated in the arrest of five Mexican and Hispanic drug cartel members. Law enforcement officials seized 12.5 pounds of meth being transported to Omaha from California.

Although 90 percent of the meth problem in Nebraska stems from international and intrastate drug trafficking, local law enforcement officers must spend the majority of their resources fighting home-based meth labs. Dismantling hundreds of "Mom and Pop" labs operated out of kitchen sinks and car trunks, and disposing of the highly toxic chemicals used to manufacture meth, is a timely and expensive process.

The Hooley-Souder amendment is critical to support our police officers on the front lines in the battle against meth. Reducing the amount of meth smuggled into the U.S. from Mexican super-labs will help our law enforcement officers protect families and children from this insidious drug that destroys lives and ruins communities. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for the Hooley-Souder amendment today.

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