[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 106 (Monday, July 26, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1655]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           MAJOR DRUG TRANSIT COUNTRY ACT OF 1999, H.R. 2608

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 26, 1999

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, a front page story in last Friday's Miami 
Herald indicates the Administration has launched a full scale review of 
the role of Cuba in the drug trade. It's a review that along with many 
others here in the Congress we fully welcome. We look forward to seeing 
the Administration's conclusions on Cuba's links to drug trafficking 
targeting the United States.
  The Miami Herald also points out that as part of the State 
Department's review, lawyers are having a hard time sorting out what a 
``major'' drug transiting nation may be under federal law, and whether 
the designation of a ``major'' transit nation should take into account 
drugs that may just pass over Cuban skies or through its territorial 
waters on the way to the USA.
  While a common sense interpretation of the law should assume that 
these illicit drugs, either passing over the skies of Cuba or through 
its territorial waters should be considered a factor in determining 
whether a nation is a major drug transiting country that substantially 
impacts the U.S., there appears to be some confusion down at Foggy 
Bottom.
  The bill I introduced today, H.R. 2608 along with Chairman Burton is 
very simple, addressing this issue of the major transiting nation list 
determination under the Foreign Assistance Act Section 481(e) as 
relates to drugs headed for the USA. This bill merely clarifies that 
the term ``through which is transported'' in fact expressly includes 
drugs passing through the territorial airspace, land and water of a 
country on the way to our nation. There should be no need for any more 
legal resource time on this issue.
  It will be my intention to move this simple, non-controversial 
clarification bill through the House International Relations Committee 
quickly.
  There should be no further confusion on this matter, so that the full 
review of the Cuban illicit narcotics situation not be distracted by 
endless debate over something as obvious as drugs passing over the 
skies of Cuba or being dropped into or moving through Cuban waters on 
the way to our cities and local communities.
  Mr. Speaker, I submit the full text of the bill to clarify this 
situation.

                               H.R. 2608

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. AMENDMENT TO FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1961.

       Section 481(e) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
     U.S.C. 2291(e)) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``For purposes of paragraph (5)(B), the term `through which 
     are transported' includes the territorial airspace, land, and 
     water of a country.''.

     

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