Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I rise this afternoon to have a conversation with my colleagues and with my constituents to talk about an issue that is important to our Nation here in the Nation's Capital for the well-being of our country but, certainly, an issue Kansans care greatly about, and that is our crisis on our southern border, in particular, but border security across and around the country.

The administration's continued failure to control the border has created not just a humanitarian crisis but also a national security crisis as well.

It is no secret that the lack of operational control of the border has led to the apprehension of Chinese nationals, individuals with ties to ISIS, and others who wish to do this country harm, serious harm.

Perhaps the biggest failure of the nonchalant approach of this administration to the border is the rampant flow of harmful drugs into the United States. Deadly drugs, such as methamphetamines, heroin, cocaine, and most critically in today's world, fentanyl--fentanyl being freely carried into this country and distributed to the cities, towns, and neighborhoods. It is a real detriment to our children and the most vulnerable. Those drugs are distributed to cities in Kansas and causing the death and misery of many Kansans and Americans today.

A bright spot in this effort to combat fentanyl and other drugs is the Drug Enforcement Agency. This morning, I was at their headquarters to celebrate with them the DEA's 50th anniversary.

I am the ranking member of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee; therefore, Senator Shaheen and I are responsible, generally, for the appropriations of the Drug Enforcement Agency. I have seen firsthand the critical results achieved by the DEA and their personnel in this fight.

DEA agents, investigators, analysts, chemists, attorneys, and support staff have provided invaluable services to the public since the creation of the DEA 50 years ago in 1973.

The DEA has faced increasingly well-equipped, well-financed, and well-resourced international drug trafficking organizations pushing more complex drugs: synthetic opioids which mimic controlled substances, including fentanyl.

I would like to commend the DEA for their work. I would like to recognize their 50th anniversary in that process by thanking those in the DEA today. We need to be reminded of the number who have been wounded and injured in the line of duty, including 79 individuals who have received a DEA Purple Heart.

This administration, this Congress, this Senate--we owe it to the dedicated individuals at DEA and to the lives and family members of those who lost loved ones to put forth the effort required to create a whole-of-government approach to securing the border to cut off the pipeline of drugs into this country.

In 2022 alone, there were around 110,000--let me say that correctly-- there were around 110,000 overdose deaths. That is a little over 300 deaths a day. Around 70,000 of these deaths were attributed to synthetic opioids and fentanyl, including 1,200 individual Kansans.

Mr. President, I find this next fact staggering. So far this year, the DEA has confiscated more than 62,400,000 pills, and it estimates that 70 percent of those pills contain a lethal dose of fentanyl--70 percent of 62 million. This puts at risk the lives of 43 million Americans.

We know that Mexican drug cartels control much of the fentanyl market, and in the United States, the amount of fentanyl available has allowed the market price to drop to as low as 50 cents a pill.

Further, we also know that many of the precursor chemicals for these synthetic drugs originate in China. These chemicals are extremely difficult to interdict. They are used in everyday items such as cheese and soap. They can be easily hidden in shipping containers.

This is a full-blown national security crisis, and it is time the administration reacts to treat it like what it is--a national security crisis, a humanitarian crisis, and loss of lives of American citizens.

I was in Mexico with several of my colleagues earlier this year, and I discussed this issue with President Lopez Obrador. I urged him to take this issue up with Chinese officials, and I do believe that we have a willing partner, in this instance, in Mexico to combat this problem.

The fiscal year 2024 CJS bill that has just been passed from the Senate Committee on Appropriations is our effort with Senator Shaheen, and it recognizes the challenges the DEA faces, including $66 million of additional funds over the fiscal year 2023 level.

I know we are talking about fiscal responsibility today. That comes at a time in which our appropriation bill is reduced from last year by $1.3 billion. So I would indicate to my Kansans that I share their concern about the levels of spending and the balancing of our books.

In the bill that I am most responsible for in the appropriations process, we have reduced spending this year from last year $1.3 billion. But within the amount of money that we can spend, we prioritized the fight against drugs. The Fiscal Responsibility Act has made our work more difficult but moves us more closely toward balancing the budget, and it shows that we can work together in this case in support of combating the fentanyl--and other drugs--crisis in our country in a bipartisan manner.

While law enforcement efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking are bipartisan, we have not yet had bipartisan support to seriously close the border to drug traffickers. There are a lot of challenges we face. It also is important to recognize that we need less demand in the United States, and Americans are buying the drugs that come here. We need to make certain that we do the things that are necessary to make certain Americans certainly know the consequences of drug use and the consequences to them, their families, their loved ones, and even to our Nation.

While law enforcement efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking are bipartisan, we have a lot more work to do when it comes to the U.S. border with Mexico and our other borders. For all the work the DEA does to disrupt drug trafficking and distribution networks, the border is by far the single most important line of defense.

We are debating whether or not to proceed on a continuing resolution to continue funding the Federal Government. I oppose a shutdown of government, in part because a shutdown would make the crisis that we face at our border even worse. Our DEA and Border Patrol agents are already starved for resources, and many cannot afford to miss a paycheck while continuing to put their lives on the line to secure the border.

This body must take seriously the crisis we face, and while funding the government is important in this battle, we also have a lot more that we can do. We need to make certain that the appropriations bills that I just talked about, the 12 appropriations bills that have been reported by the Senate committee, work their way across this Senate floor, recognizing that the continuing resolution is only a pause. While government continues to function, we continue to work.

I look forward to every opportunity to see that we do more at the border, that we put Americans on notice about the importance of avoiding drug abuse and drug use in this country, and that our national security is at risk. I look forward to that conversation, but more importantly, I look forward to the results.

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