Science, State, Justice, Commerce, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006
SCIENCE, STATE, JUSTICE, COMMERCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2006 -- (House of Representatives - June 14, 2005)
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Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Chairman, I rise to engage Chairman WOLF in a colloquy with me.
I thank the chairman for agreeing to engage in this important discussion with me. As you know, I represent Laredo, Texas, along the U.S.-Mexican border. There has been much violence along the border, including 31 Americans that have been kidnapped on the Mexican side. That is 31 Americans. Twelve of them have been returned, two were killed, and the remaining are unaccounted for.
I have been working to increase cooperation with the law enforcement agencies policing the border. In May, I brought together officials from agencies ranging from the FBI to the State Department along with the local law enforcement to help formulate a plan.
The Mexican Government on the other side has increased police and federal presence along the border, which is good news, but unfortunately they haven't done enough. We need to respond with strong, decisive efforts of our own to help forge a lasting resolution.
I am excited to know, Mr. Chairman, that this bill increases by $23 million the Violent Crime Impact Teams assigned to cities in the United States, and I thank you, Mr. Chairman, and the ranking member, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Mollohan), and the members of the subcommittee for the leadership that you have shown. I am also currently working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Attorney General, Mr. Albert Gonzales, to get a team permanently assigned to the Laredo area; but unfortunately at this time we need some funding.
I hope the chairman and I can work together to try to get a Violent Crime Impact Team assigned to Laredo. The violence spilling over across the border is great, and I believe this effort can go a long way towards addressing this problem, and so I ask for your assistance in this matter.
Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. CUELLAR. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.
Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, we will be glad to work with the gentleman from Texas and Ranking Member MOLLOHAN to see what we can do to help. That sounds like a horrible situation: 31 Americans kidnapped. So if we can help, we will do whatever we can to help you.
Mr. CUELLAR. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Chairman, I thank both Chairman WOLF and Ranking Member MOLLOHAN for their help, and I thank the chairman for his bipartisan approach to address this very, very important approach to a violent situation.
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