Speech by Rep. Sonny Callahan (D-Alabama), March 29, 2000

Speech by Rep. Sonny Callahan (D-Alabama), March 29, 2000
Mr. CALLAHAN. Mr. Chairman, the amendment really cuts the heart out of the entire program of Plan Colombia because it would prohibit the money to train the counternarcotics pavilion. I think the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) recognizes that. Without this training money, there is no reason for the rest of the package. I think the gentlewoman recognizes that.

But the primary reason I rise, other than in nonsupport of the gentlewoman's amendment, is to correct some perception that may have come from her remarks and the remarks of the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) about our concern about drug prevention and abuse programs in this country.

Let me remind my colleagues that we have appropriated more than $10 billion towards this program. The President of the United States has come to us and said, in addition to that money, there is an emergency problem in interdiction. He has said, in effect, that we have appropriated a sufficient amount of money for drug prevention and abuse programs in this country.

So let us not create a perception that this Congress, both sides of the aisle included, is ignoring the internal problem that we have, the domestic problem we have here in the United States.

The gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) is absolutely correct in her assessment that the real problem of all of this lies in our own solving of our own programs here in the United States. But let me remind her and all of my colleagues that it is not because of a lack of financial resources, because since 1996, we have increased the programs by 35 percent. The President of the United States also runs our domestic programs. If he needs more money, all he has to do is ask, and we will fulfill his request for additional domestic concerns here in this country.

So let us do not get this thing construed to the point that there is an indication that this Congress has not been willing to support our own domestic programs, because the fact remains we have increased it in the last 4 years more than 35 percent. It now exceeds more than $10 billion per year.

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