OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2005

Date: March 9, 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Drugs


OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - March 09, 2006)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Mr. Souder and Mr. Cummings, and I also rise in favor of this particular bill. I want to thank Mr. Souder for the leadership he has taken on this very important bill that is so important to us and, again, Mr. Cummings, also for the work you both have been doing, your leadership and your bipartisan approach.

I also want to thank my colleague from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) for cosponsoring this amendment. My amendment to H.R. 2829 directs a study on the incidence of kidnapped, killed, and missing Americans along the United States-Mexican border. Within 180 days, the commission will submit a report to the U.S. Congress with recommendations on how to prevent these types of crime.

According to the FBI, 41 Americans have been kidnapped in Mexico since August of 2004. Two have been killed, some have been returned, but there are still 22 missing Americans that we have not been able to find answers to.

Last year, we witnessed a positive reaction from our country when we mobilized the resources to find the missing American in Aruba. It is my hope that we can also give the same type of attention to the missing Americans along the U.S.-Mexican border where many more people have gone missing.

I fully understand that the Office of National Drug Control Policy is not an enforcement or investigative agency, but I believe, very strongly, that this office can be another group of minds that can help us try to find initiatives to help prevent American citizens from suffering the same or similar fate in the future.

Since I have taken office, I have been asked by many of the mothers and fathers and the children of the missing Americans to help resolve the status of their loved ones. I believe that if we bring in many resources together that we can help to ensure we put a stop to these crimes, and hopefully give the families of these missing Americans some closure.

Again, congratulations to Mr. Souder for the leadership that he has taken, and Mr. Cummings also, for coming together in a bipartisan approach. I believe this amendment is acceptable to both Mr. Souder and Mr. Cummings.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

http://thomas.loc.gov

arrow_upward