[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 106 (Thursday, August 3, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8844-S8845]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BURNS (for himself, Mr. Frist, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Allard, Mr. 
        Coleman, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Allen):
  S. 3825. A bill to end the flow of methamphetamine and precursor 
chemicals coming across the border of the United States; to the 
Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I rise today because, despite the heroic 
efforts of law enforcement agencies in Montana and elsewhere around the 
country, the use of methamphetamine continues to rise. In the Senate, 
we have passed legislation to fund efforts to go after domestic 
production of meth--from provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act, which 
restricted the sale of pseudoephedrine, to funds for the cleanup of 
meth labs. While law enforcement officials report that these efforts 
are in fact reducing the production of meth within our borders, they 
also tell me that foreign-produced meth is being imported to fill the 
supply void.
  For this reason, I have introduced the ``Methamphetamine Trafficking 
Prevention Act of 2006'' in order to bring additional Federal resources 
to bear on this problem. I want to thank my colleagues, Senate Majority 
Leader Frist, Senator DeWine, Senator Allard, Senator Coleman, Senator 
Allen and Senator Smith for joining me in sponsoring this legislation. 
The United States shares around 4,000 miles of border with Canada and 
almost 2,000 miles with Mexico. Controlling what comes across these 
borders must be a top priority for national security.
  A report recently released by the President's Office of National Drug 
Control Policy, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Health 
and Human Services had this to say:

       The most urgent priority of the Federal Government toward 
     reducing the supply of methamphetamine in the Untied States 
     will be to tighten the international market for chemical 
     precursors, such as pseudoephedrine and ephedrine, used to 
     produce the drug. Most of the methamphetamine used in 
     America--probably between 75 and 85 percent--is made with 
     chemical precursors that are diverted at some point from the 
     international stream of commerce . . . Although domestic 
     enforcement continues to be a priority, the impact of State 
     laws controlling retail access to precursors, together with 
     Federal, State, and local enforcement efforts, has had a 
     significant impact on the domestic production of 
     methamphetamine. As a result, a larger proportion of the 
     methamphetamine consumed in the United States is now coming 
     across the border as a final product . . .

  Meth trafficking has quickly adapted to increased domestic efforts to 
stem production and the need for an international solution is clear.
  This legislation will provide an additional $15 million for the 
Department of Justice's Meth Hot Spots Program for the creation of 
``Border Technology Grants'' to support technology used to detect meth 
and substances used to make meth on the border through aerial 
surveillance and to find meth labs around the border with hyperspectral 
sensors. Another $5 million will be provided to the Drug Enforcement 
Agency for trace chemical detectors to be used

[[Page S8845]]

on U.S. borders. These sensors will also assist in locating explosive 
devices.
  The international nature of meth trafficking makes Federal action 
necessary, but the United States cannot act alone. This legislation 
will also coordinate Federal drug enforcement efforts with foreign 
counterparts in order to devise a strategy to fight meth production 
across national borders. Officials from the U.S. Trade Representative 
will discuss meth trafficking with trading partners in multi- and bi-
lateral negotiations in order to curb the shipment of this dangerous 
substance.
  The impacts of the meth crisis are felt nationwide. In Montana, I 
have seen first-hand the consequences of meth addiction on individuals, 
their families, and communities. Nowhere are these problems more 
serious than on Indian Reservations. In Montana, there are several 
reservations on or near the Canadian border. While Montana's law 
enforcement has done a good job shutting down meth labs in Montana, the 
flow of meth from Canada and Mexico has more than replaced domestic 
meth production. This bill would require the Department of Justice to 
report to Congress the problems faced on these reservations with 
respect to meth abuse and trafficking.
  It is time to take the response to this crisis to a new--
international--level and I encourage my colleagues to support these 
efforts.
                                 ______