[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 100 (Wednesday, July 27, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 27, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                           ILLEGAL NARCOTICS

  Mr. DeCONCINI. Mr. President, some of our country's most terrible 
health and social problems result from the use of illegal narcotics. 
That has been overwhelmingly concluded in this country. This includes 
crimes perpetuated by drug traffickers, as well as drug addiction; 
incarceration costs, which are ever escalating; lost productivity at 
the workplace, which has increased; health care costs, including 
emergency admissions to hospitals, which has gone up every year; AIDS; 
children born to drug-addicted parents; and a host of other problems 
with which we are plagued.
  If we are going to make inroads in reducing the use of illegal drugs 
in our country, cooperation with source countries, under the new 
Clinton administration drug strategy to place more emphasis on the 
source country, is paramount, and we must proceed to do that.
  I have questioned that, because I have had some qualms about taking 
emphasis away from the border and from the transit zone. We have tried 
to restore some of those.
  But it is worthwhile to deal with the source country, particularly if 
you have a country that is friendly or cooperative in some nature. 
Ninety-five percent of the cocaine in our country comes from Peru, 
Bolivia, and Colombia. I am sad to say that most of that comes through 
the country of Mexico into the southwest border States.
  In recognition of this particular situation, the President's new drug 
policy places a strong focus on the source country's activity, these 
particular three countries. These countries, through their own 
initiatives, collective efforts, and some cooperation with the United 
States Government, have made significant progress in regaining control 
of their nations and in attacking their illegal drug problems.
  Needless to say, some of them have problems in the area of human 
rights, of which I am very, very aware.
  These countries have come to the conclusion that they share our 
interest in the war against drugs because they, too, are experiencing 
the devastating consequences of drug trafficking. In addition to the 
tremendous cost in lives of both civilians and police on the front 
lines of this war, the drug cartels have the potential to subvert and 
corrupt the entire system.
  Few countries are more key to this fight against drugs or have 
suffered a heavier price than the country of Colombia. Their interest 
in fighting drugs is demonstrated by their counternarcotic program, 
which is the most comprehensive program in the region, I must say. Any 
chance we have of disrupting the flow of drugs to our country is tied 
to cooperative efforts with the country of Colombia. The amendments 
which Senator Graham and I offered to the Foreign Operations 
appropriations bill was an effort to ensure that our cooperative 
efforts would continue to go forward.
  I look forward to furthering cooperative efforts to combat the drug 
trafficking and trade when the government of Ernesto Samper takes 
office in August. The U.S. and Colombia have shared a long history of 
cooperative bilateral relations and have been able to forge a close 
relationship over the last 5 or 6 years in the war on drugs.
  I was in Peru and in Colombia in February. We saw firsthand the cost 
that the Colombian people have paid for this drug operation. We also 
saw a genuine effort and an effort to do something about corruption.
  Now, having said all that, it is clear that the Colombians still have 
a long way to go, and there was some evidence in the recent election of 
Mr. Samper that we are dealing with people who were connected or were 
in fact part of the drug cartel. He and his campaign and his new 
administration deny that. We have no firm evidence to confirm it. The 
person who was his treasurer is not part of the government, or has not 
been announced to be part of the government, and I am advised will not 
be part of the government. And he has stated that he did have some 
conversation with the wrong people and refused or denied or turned down 
any contributions.
  Unfortunately, Colombia has a little bit of the same syndrome we have 
on election campaigns. They cost millions of dollars and they have to 
go to many sources to raise that kind of money.
  We do have very good operating procedures in Colombia: Joint 
intelligence, communications, and other efforts are underway. We have 
capabilities in Colombia to assist them immensely. They need resources 
and they need some friendship.
  I am prepared to give this new government some breathing room. I am 
not one who stands on this floor and says let us just go ahead and let 
it be business as usual.
  Business as usual is a little different in Colombia for the first 
time since I have been in this body. In fact, they have demonstrated 
that they can deal with corruption and they have demonstrated that they 
are even prepared to use greater force than we do. They have a shoot-
down policy on airplanes. They have demonstrated, with the very 
dramatic effort to get Mr. Escobar and in fact eliminate him, not in 
the course of constitutional rights under which we might have 
proceeded.
  Both of our countries share the costs of the illegal drug trade, and 
both of our countries will reap great benefits from reducing it. The 
drug cartels are as much a threat to the Colombian Government and the 
people there as they are to us.
  Moving forward in the war on drugs requires a strong commitment in 
reducing both the supply and the demand. So I look forward to a renewed 
effort with the Colombian Government, and I hope they will proceed with 
what they have represented to our Government and our people. The 
President-elect, Mr. Samper, has sent forward his potential designees 
for Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Justice, and Foreign Minister to 
the United States to make the case, and I believe that they are well 
intended and will indeed proceed with the continued forceful operations 
that the previous government has made.
  I am prepared to watch them and work with them, and I hope our 
Government is.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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