Speech by Rep. Cass Ballenger (R-North Carolina), March 29, 2000

Speech by Rep. Cass Ballenger (R-North Carolina), March 29, 2000
Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Chairman, today, we have before us the very important Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act. I say it is important because it would provide desperately needed disaster relief funds for those in my home state of North Carolina and others who have suffered the ravages of Hurricane Floyd. It also contains the Colombian aid package which will serve as a critical component in winning the war on drugs.

As you may recall, Mr. Chairman, Congress approved some disaster relief funding last fall to help eastern North Carolina recover from the disaster left by Hurricane Floyd. But, if you also remember, that funding did not cover all of the outstanding needs. The FY 2000 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act addresses some of the shortfalls by providing over $1 billion in emergency disaster assistance to areas ravaged by Hurricane Floyd, especially eastern North Carolina. For example, the emergency supplemental contains $81 million for the Commodity Credit Corporation, funding which was removed from last year's disaster bill despite the efforts of the North Carolina delegation to include it. The measure also would provide $77 million for the Farm Service Agency, $13 million for the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, $37 million for the Coast Guard and $600 million for the Administration for Children and Families. While the measure will not cover all of the disaster relief needs, it will address some of the most pressing ones. So, I urge its passage.

H.R. 3908 also contains $1.1 billion in aid to Colombia and other Andean countries, to stem the tide of illegal narcotics coming into this country. These funds would be used, among other things, purchase utility helicopters for the Colombian Army and the Colombian National Police and to help train two more anti-narcotic battalions for the Colombian Army. Other funds contained in the package will be used to establish alternative crops programs and other non-military drug reduction programs.

Since Colombia is a hemispheric neighbor, what happens there can profoundly affect the way we live here. Let me share some statistics. Each year an estimated 14 metric tons of heroin and 357 metric tons of cocaine enter the United States. Of these amounts, 90% of the cocaine and 75% of the heroin originate in Colombia.

Let's face it, illegal drugs are killing our kids at an alarming rate. Every year, we lose 52,000 young lives to drugs, nearly equal to the number of Americans killed in Vietnam over ten years. That means every day 143 of our young people will die from drug-related causes. In the time it takes us to debate this bill, 12 or more children will perish due to drug addiction. According to the U.S. Drug Czar, one of every two Americans kids will try illegal drugs by the time they reach the 12th grade. Many will become habitual users, leading to a life of crime or worse, a miserable, lonely death. This problem, Mr. Chairman, is staggering.

In 1998, five million young people in this country required treatment for drug addiction, and nearly 600,000 required an emergency room visit. In the United States, there are 1.6 million drug-related arrests annually, and over half of our prison population committed drug-related crimes. Even more disturbing, while the average age for marijuana users is increasing, heroin abusers are getting younger. The cost of drug abuse to our society is estimated to be $110 billion per year, but it is much higher if measured in countless lives lost and young dreams broken.

With our strong support and the financial assistance contained in this bill, Colombia can be successful in slowing the flow of drugs from their country to our school and communities. Failing to provide this important aid now may result in the loss of Colombia to the drug cartels, leaving them free to turn the once prosperous and democratic nation into a large narcotics nursery, laboratory and distribution center. Without this help, we will leave generations of Americans vulnerable to the hopelessness of drug addiction.

We have worked hard to stop genocide in other countries Mr. Chairman, we now must stop this senseless slaughter of a generation of Americans. If we love our children, we must ensure that Colombia receives the help it needs. This bill will provide that help, and I strongly its passage.

As of March 30, 2000, this document was also available online at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r106:H29MR0-173: