Speech by Rep. John Boozman (R-Arkansas), June 9, 2006

Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Chairman, I am a member of the Committee on International Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Human Rights, and I have great sympathy for what you are trying to accomplish in the sense that I think the Emergency Refugee Migration Assistance fund does a great job.

On the other hand, as a member of the Speaker's drug task force, and very active in the war against drugs, this is not the vehicle to do this in. I have had an opportunity to go to Colombia and see the progress that is being made. I very strongly oppose the McGovern amendment. I have had an opportunity to visit with the police and the armed services in Colombia, and they are doing a good job and tremendous progress is being made.

We had an opportunity to go out on a mock drug expedition where we went out in the cigar boats and saw firsthand how they go after the drug traffickers. Probably 2 hours after we left, they actually captured a boat that had several hundred pounds of illegal drugs on it. So they are doing a good job.

Again, I very strongly disagree that the money needs to be reduced.

In regard to the Colombian police situation, as we know on May 22, 2006, 10 members of the Colombian Judicial Police force, known as the DIJIN, were murdered by members of the Colombian army. These brave police officers were investigating a drug trafficking incident when they were captured and shot execution-style by army soldiers.

Since the incident, the Uribe government has moved quickly to launch an aggressive independent inquiry by the attorney general's office in Colombia. Because of these actions and because of the fact that Colombians are doing the right thing in this instance, we need to vote ``no'' on this amendment.

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