Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2018

Floor Speech

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Mr. Chairman, this amendment would increase the appropriations for the Western Hemisphere regional security cooperation account by $10 million and reduce the appropriation for contributions to the international organizations account by $10 million.

These funds will be appropriated to the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs account and are available for 2 years. Thus, the State Department would have to obligate the funds within that timeframe.

Mr. Chairman, we lose between 4,000 and 5,000 of our fellow Americans to drug overdoses every month. This amendment reallocates $10 million to the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs account at the State Department. This will provide additional resources to combat the dangerous and illegal actions of transnational criminal organizations by supporting the efforts of the Government of Colombia in enhancing regional security capabilities to provide training and technical assistance to partners in Central and South America.

Over the years, Colombia has made continuous progress in abating narcotics trafficking through various eradication operations and law enforcement efforts. Between 2009 and 2013, Colombia trained more than 22,000 military and law enforcement officers from Central America and the Caribbean countries in security operations and human and drug trafficking interdiction.

By increasing funding for training and assistance activities conducted by Colombian police and military forces, we enable Colombia to train even more regional police forces to function independently.

As it is here in the U.S., local law enforcement serves as the foundation for interdiction and counter-drug operations in Central American and Caribbean countries. Our strategic partnership with Colombia is aimed at producing both short- and long-term results in regional security.

Over time, Colombian training and expertise provided to underdeveloped regional police forces will decrease reliance on U.S. funding. Part of this progress includes the development of Colombia's rural police force, where a vast majority of narcotics are grown, produced, and prepped for export to the United States.

Just a few months ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Joint Interagency Task Force South and SOUTHCOM's headquarters in Florida to hear and see firsthand the challenges that migrant and drug interdiction within the Caribbean region pose on homeland and national security.

I can tell you that it was an eye-opening experience, and I appreciate even more the work our Federal and local enforcement agencies are doing in interdiction and intervention.

When it comes to stemming the flow of narcotics to the United States, a big part of overcoming the challenges we face is ensuring that our strategic partners have the support they need to continue their efforts to tackle these threats head-on.

We must continue to support these efforts. They play a critical role in not only reducing the drug flow over our borders, but promoting stability and peace throughout Central and South America.

It is no secret that the United States faces a drug epidemic that touches all corners of our Nation. This amendment is just one more contribution to a multieffort, multinational approach to all law enforcement personnel involved in these efforts, as well as our allies in the region. I thank them for the important work they do in reducing the flow of drugs into the United States.

Mr. Chairman, I encourage adoption of the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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