[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 30 (Tuesday, March 11, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H852-H853]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 MEXICO DOES NOT DESERVE CERTIFICATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Florida [Mr. Mica] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I come before the House tonight to talk about 
the question of whether or not the House should certify Mexico or 
decertify Mexico.
  As my colleagues may know, the administration just recently certified 
Mexico as being cooperative in trying to stem the flow of drugs and 
illegal narcotics from that country under a certification law that, as 
a staffer in the other body some years ago, I had a chance to help 
develop.
  Today, we have seen around the Capitol, scurrying around the Capitol 
Building, the Ambassador from Mexico and various lobbyists on various 
sides of the issue. But I come before the House tonight to say not to 
weaken, not to cave in to the Ambassador, not to cave in to interests, 
trade interests or other interests, and put them before the only 
interests we, as representatives of the people, should be representing 
in the people's House, and that is the safety of our children, the 
safety of our schools, the safety of our streets and the very security 
of this Nation that I think is at jeopardy with the current situation.
  Now, the question before us is whether Mexico is helping to eradicate 
and stop the flow of drugs. Let me talk not about what I know, but the 
facts that we have gathered and what others have said.
  Mr. Speaker, I serve on the Subcommittee on National Security, 
International Affairs, and Criminal Justice that does the oversight on 
our national drug policy. Just prior to the certification in the House 
of Representatives, I was stunned, as a member of that committee, to 
hear Tom Constantine, the head of our Drug Enforcement Administration, 
the head of DEA, when he came before us just days before this 
administration certified Mexico. What did he say? Let me quote. ``There 
is not a single law enforcement institution in Mexico with whom DEA has 
a trusting relationship.''
  Those are his words, not my words, words before Congress about who we 
can trust with cooperation. I was stunned today to hear the Ambassador 
from Mexico tell me that a level of cooperation unprecedented exists. 
Well, how can a level of cooperation exist when the DEA head says that 
there is not a single law enforcement institution in Mexico with whom 
DEA, our chief law enforcement in the drug war, has a relationship?
  Assistant Secretary of State Robert Gelbard came before our 
committee, again just days within this certification by the 
administration, and said, ``There is persistent and widespread official 
corruption throughout Mexico.'' And then today the administration sent 
folks up here to lobby us not to decertify Mexico.
  Now, I know trade is important in our relationship with Mexico. It is 
important and there is probably billions of dollars at stake here. But 
there are the lives of our young people, the safety of our streets. Our 
senior citizens cannot sleep in their own beds at night because of fear 
of being broken in by someone.
  Just look at the statistics. At least 200 tons of cocaine entered the 
United States from Mexico last year. That is 70 percent of the cocaine. 
This used to come through Colombia, now it comes through Mexico. In 
testimony before our subcommittee it was stated that just a small 
amount a few years ago of brown heroin came through Mexico. Now, 30 
percent of all the heroin that is killing our children and our people 
is coming through Mexico. Over 150 tons of methamphetamines that are 
destroying young people in the Midwest

[[Page H853]]

and the West, and heading toward the East Coast, and has become the new 
drug of choice, is coming through Mexico.
  Mexico has failed to cooperate. They have failed to extradite. They 
have failed to put radar on their borders. They have failed to allow 
our DEA agents to go there. They have denied allowing our DEA agents to 
protect themselves by arming themselves. They have also subverted our 
attempts to have a solid maritime agreement. They have also left vetted 
units, which we have trained in Mexico City.
  They are not doing the job. They do not deserve our certification, 
and they deserve this week to be decertified for these actions.

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