Speech
by Rep. John Mica (R-Florida), April 3, 2003
Mr. MICA. Mr. Chairman,
I appreciate what the gentleman who has offered this amendment has intended,
and that is to assist our first responders, and we want to make certain
that those who are protecting our streets, those who are protecting and
defending our communities against the threat of terrorism have the adequate
resources to do that. But this is, unfortunately, an ill-conceived amendment.
It would do a great deal of damage.
I have chaired the
Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Drug Policy, and I can tell my colleagues
that we finally have the opportunity, the glimmer of hope of bringing
under control some of the devastation that is being wrought by the illegal
narcotics that are being produced in Colombia. Today, Colombia provides
90 percent of the cocaine and 60 percent of the heroin sold or seized
on America's streets. To put this in perspective for my colleagues, drug-related
deaths in the United States now exceed homicides. Fifty American lives
are lost every day. Before this day ends, 50 Americans will die in the
streets and communities across our Nation, most of them young people,
and most of the deaths are a result of drugs and narcotics coming from
Colombia.
So this is a bad
amendment and bad timing, because we have a President now who is supportive
of our efforts to curb terrorism, to curb narcoterrorism, and to curb
the narcotics that are coming into our streets and communities and killing
countless Americans.
So I ask for my
colleagues' careful consideration and defeat of the McGovern amendment.
I know it is well-intended, but it is inappropriate at this time.
As of April 18, 2003,
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