[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 30 (Wednesday, March 18, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H1281]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  MEXICO MAJOR SOURCE OF ILLICIT DRUGS

  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 to the House floor this afternoon to 
announce that chemical warfare has been declared upon the United States 
of America. Some of my colleagues may be wondering what I mean by this 
statement that chemical warfare has in fact been inflicted upon the 
United States, but let me tell them the rest of the story.
  In the entire Gulf War with the United States, Iraq took 148 American 
lives in battle. Let me give Members some statistics from 1992 to 1994 
in the loss of life in the chemical war that has been declared upon the 
United States of America. There have been drug deaths during that 
period of time of 38,882. If we had the most up-to-date statistics 
through last year, we are probably looking at 60,000 Americans who have 
lost their lives because of drugs entering this country.
  I ask my colleagues where most of the drugs are coming into this 
country. What is the source of the chemical warfare that has been 
declared upon our Nation? I tell them today that it is Mexico. The DEA 
confirms it. Everyone who has testified before my National Security 
subcommittee that oversees our policy on the narcotics issue has 
confirmed it, that Mexico is the source of illegal chemicals, drugs, 
coming into this country.
  Many of those thousands of lives that have been lost in this chemical 
war are young people. Listen to the quantities of narcotics that are 
coming in from Mexico, and this administration and this President 
recently certified Mexico as compliant with attempts to eradicate 
drugs. Do Members know the source of 50 to 70 percent of the cocaine 
transiting into the United States, into their community? It is Mexico. 
Do they know where 30 percent of the heroin entering the United States 
into their community is coming from? It is coming from Mexico. Do they 
know where 70 percent of the foreign-grown marijuana which is produced 
and transited to the United States is coming from? It is Mexico.
  The certification law that we have on the books is a simple law. It 
says our State Department and our President must confirm that a country 
is cooperating to eliminate drug trafficking and drug production. In 
fact, Mexico is not doing that. They are being certified to get 
benefits from the United States. They get benefits for foreign aid, for 
financial assistance, for military assistance and trade benefits. This 
is a simple certification process which Mexico has not complied with.
  What has been their response? Their response has been to launch a 
chemical war on the children and the people of the United States. The 
loss of life, the loss of our children's futures, the loss of civility 
and civil conduct in our community has been disrupted.
  We have 2 million Americans behind bars. Our people are sleeping at 
night behind bars. Our elderly are confined to their homes behind bars, 
because 70 percent of those who are committing crimes are there because 
of a drug-related offense or drug abuse.
  I submit that 50 percent of the hard drugs, and these are not my 
statistics, this is the DEA, the FBI and other Federal agencies confirm 
that 50 percent of the hard drugs, these chemical weapons, are coming 
into the United States from Mexico.
  I urge my colleagues, all of my colleagues, to join me with the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw) in cosponsoring House Joint 
Resolution 114. Let us end this chemical warfare that has been declared 
upon our Nation and upon our children. I ask my colleagues to join us 
and cosponsor House Joint Resolution 114 and let us make a difference 
in the lives of our children and in the lives of our community and stop 
the drug warfare on this country.

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