[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 125 (Friday, September 29, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H8019-H8020]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF RED RIBBON WEEK

  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1028) supporting the goals and ideals 
of Red Ribbon Week.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 1028

       Whereas the purpose of the Red Ribbon Campaign is to 
     commemorate the service of Enrique ``Kiki'' Camarena, a Drug 
     Enforcement Administration Special Agent who died in the line 
     of duty in 1985 while engaged in the battle against illicit 
     drugs;
       Whereas the Red Ribbon Campaign is nationally recognized 
     and is in its twenty-first year of celebration, helping to 
     preserve Special Agent Camarena's memory and further the 
     cause for which he gave his life;
       Whereas the Governors and Attorneys General of the States, 
     the National Family Partnership, Parent Teacher Associations, 
     Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and more than 100 other 
     organizations throughout the United States annually cosponsor 
     Red Ribbon Week during the period of October 23 through 
     October 31;
       Whereas the objective of Red Ribbon Week is to promote 
     drug-free communities through drug prevention efforts, 
     education, parental involvement, and community-wide support;
       Whereas drug and alcohol abuse contributes to domestic 
     violence and sexual assaults, and places the lives of 
     children at risk;
       Whereas drug abuse is one of the major challenges that the 
     Nation faces in securing a safe and healthy future for 
     families and children;
       Whereas although public awareness of illicit drug abuse is 
     increasing, the silent abuse of prescription medication, with 
     over 6,000,000 such abusers, has gone almost unnoticed and 
     demands attention; and
       Whereas parents, youth, schools, businesses, law 
     enforcement agencies, religious institutions, service 
     organizations, senior citizens, medical and military 
     personnel, sports teams, and individuals throughout the 
     United States will demonstrate their commitment to healthy, 
     productive, and drug-free lifestyles by wearing and 
     displaying red ribbons during this weeklong celebration: Now 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of Red Ribbon Week;
       (2) encourages children and teens to choose to live a drug-
     free life; and
       (3) encourages the people of the United States to promote 
     drug-free communities and to participate in drug prevention 
     activities to show support for healthy, productive, and drug-
     free lifestyles.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Deal) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material on the 
bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Georgia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today in support of House Resolution 1028, a resolution 
supporting the goals and ideals of Red Ribbon Week and to commemorate 
the life and service of DEA Special Agent Enrique ``Kiki'' Camarena, 
who died in the line of duty in 1985 while engaged in a battle against 
illicit drugs.
  As my colleagues are aware, Red Ribbon Week, which will take place 
during the week of October 23 this year, encourages children and teens 
to choose a drug-free life. The resolution before us today encourages 
all people of the United States to promote drug-free communities and to 
participate in drug-free prevention activities in support of healthy, 
productive, drug-free lifestyles.
  We know that ultimately education is the answer to preventing drugs 
among our children. What Red Ribbon Week does is nationally recognize 
the importance of keeping our youths off drugs, and I am particularly 
pleased that we are also commemorating Special Agent Enrique ``Kiki'' 
Camarena with this resolution. The agents of the Drug Enforcement Agent 
serve the public to make our communities a safer place to live and 
work. Our gratitude to them for doing their part in our communities and 
to keep them drug free should certainly be recognized.
  Mr. Speaker, I think this is a great resolution, and I would like to 
commend my good friend from Indiana, Mr. Souder, for sponsoring this 
legislation and for his leadership on this issue. I would also like to 
commend my colleague on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Terry 
from Nebraska, for serving as an original cosponsor of the legislation.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of H. Res. 1028, a resolution that recognizes and 
supports the concept of Red Ribbon Week.
  The Red Ribbon campaign began in 1985 after drug traffickers in 
Mexico City murdered Kiki Camarena, a United States Drug Enforcement 
agent.
  Red Ribbon Week is sponsored by the National Family Partnership. Each 
year more than 80 million people show their commitment to a healthy, 
drug-free life by wearing a red ribbon. During the last 8 days of 
October, those who wear the red ribbon are saying that we will not 
tolerate the use or sale of illicit drugs in our Nation.
  Substance abuse, and the sale of illegal drugs, is a serious problem 
in this country. That is why it is so important that as we approach the 
month of October that we remember Kiki Camarena by wearing a red 
ribbon. Preventing substance abuse and the associated violence that 
took Kiki's life is of great concern to me. Let us celebrate the life 
and work of Kiki Camarena by passing H. Res. 1028.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to 
the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder), who is the sponsor of this 
resolution.
  Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, Red Ribbon Week is a national week celebrated at the end 
of October that honors the sacrifice made by DEA Special Agent Enrique 
``Kiki'' Camarena. It brings together local communities all over 
America for anti-drug abuse education and other prevention efforts.
  I would like to thank all the Members who cosponsored this 
resolution, as well as Speaker Hastert, Chairman Joe Barton of the 
Energy and Commerce Committee, and Chairman Nathan Deal of the Health 
Subcommittee, for their assistance in bringing this resolution to the 
floor this evening. I would also like to thank Congressman Elijah 
Cummings, the ranking Democrat on our Drug Policy Subcommittee; and 
Congressman Lee Terry of Nebraska for their consistent efforts in the 
anti-narcotics arena.
  As you have already heard, 21 years ago in March, 1985, Special Agent 
Enrique Camarena of the DEA was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered by 
drug dealers in Mexico.

                              {time}  2015

  Red Ribbon Week began as a local commemorative effort in Special 
Agent Camerena's hometown of Calexico, California, when Congressman 
Duncan Hunter and Camerena's high school friend, Henry Lozano, created 
Camarena Clubs to preserve the agent's legacy. The National Family 
Partnership later formalized Red Ribbon Week as a national campaign, an 
8-day event proclaimed by the U.S. Congress and chaired by then 
President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan.
  Red Ribbon Week is dedicated to helping preserve Agent Camarena's 
memory and further the cause for which he gave his life, the fight 
against violence of drug crime and the misery of addition. By gathering 
together in special events and wearing a red ribbon during the last 
week in October, Americans from all walks of life demonstrate their 
opposition to illegal narcotics. Such events include organizing drug 
prevention events in schools, distributing educational materials to 
young people about the dangers of drug abuse, and other activities 
designed to promote healthy choices. Approximately 80 million people 
participate in Red Ribbon events every year.

[[Page H8020]]

  Red Ribbon Week is also a tribute to the men and women of the Drug 
Enforcement Administration who daily leave their families to stand on 
the front lines of this Nation's counter drug efforts. Those efforts 
extend to Afghanistan, where DEA Special Agents operate in an 
increasingly hazardous environment to aid the fledgling and almost 
overwhelmingly antidrug efforts in that country.
  It is regrettable that the work of these agents frequently lacks the 
necessary assistance from the Department of Defense to complete their 
perilous mission. I call on the Department of Defense to increase its 
level of support so that the memory and sacrifices made by Kiki 
Camerena and others continue to have meaning and value. Drugs and 
terror are inexorably linked, and the fight against them should be a 
seamless, unified campaign, where Government agency assets complement 
each other so more agents do not die.
  Since 1985, we have made substantial progress in the fight against 
drug abuse, but even today it remains our number one health problem in 
America, claiming well over 20,000 lives a year. Each day all over 
America a new person and new people are tempted and fall to narcotics 
abuse.
  We must never slacken our efforts. We will never completely win drug 
war, because new people are tempted every day. But we can make 
progress. And when we stay at it in prevention, in treatment, 
interdiction, eradication and enforcement, we do, in fact, reduce the 
level of drug abuse in the United States, as has been the last few 
years.
  Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank the House for joining with me in 
supporting this resolution recognizing the vital work of drug abuse 
prevention, recognizing the DEA for their leadership, and encouraging 
all Americans to participate in Red Ribbon Week.
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.
  Mr. Speaker, this red ribbon is saying to people across this country, 
don't get involved with drugs. Young people, stay in school. That is 
what it is saying, and stay away from drugs.
  So every time you see this red ribbon, especially you young people, 
understand that it is saying, do not get involved in drugs.
  Camerena gave his life trying to make this world a better place for 
us to live. We should never forget that. So we should wear the red 
ribbon, saying to people everywhere that we will not tolerate the use 
of drugs in this country, illegal drugs.
  Also, let me just conclude by saying that we have an obligation and a 
responsibility to keep the work of Camerena alive; and we need to do 
that by demonstrating everywhere that we go that we have this red 
ribbon on, and that is what it means. The red ribbon says no to drugs. 
Stay in school, young people.
  Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1028 to 
support the goals and ideals of Red Ribbon Week.
  Red Ribbon Week was established 21 years ago to honor the life of 
Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Enrique ``Kiki'' 
Camarena, who died in the line of duty while fighting illicit drugs. 
More than 100 organizations across the United States, including the 
Nation's Governors and community organizations such as Boys and Girls 
Clubs of America, have joined in this effort to promote drug-free 
communities.
  As a Representative of the great State of Nebraska, I recognize the 
importance of such efforts to prevent abuse of dangerous drugs such as 
methamphetamine. The war against the rising tide of meth in the Mid-
West and on the West Coast--and now even in some parts of the East 
Coast--can only be effectively fought through partnerships with law 
enforcement, government, social service agencies, communities, schools, 
parents and children.
  The meth problem affects all aspects of our communities and requires 
comprehensive solutions at all levels of government and in partnership 
with private charities and volunteer organizations.
  We need effective drug prevention and education programs; greater 
parental involvement and public awareness; and law enforcement and 
social services coordination in order to rescue our communities from 
the ruination and devastation of meth.
  The recent survey of 500 county law enforcement officials found that 
meth abuse is still the number 1 drug problem nationwide. Many States, 
including Nebraska, have enacted laws to control access to Sudafed and 
other drugs that act as the basis for ``cooking'' meth. The number of 
Mom and Pop meth labs dropped by an astounding 70 percent in Nebraska 
and other states. However, 85 percent of law enforcement officials 
report the meth problem is still growing due to drug trafficking from 
``superlabs'' in Mexico.
  This Congress can best honor the memory of Agent Camarena by 
continuing a strong battle in the ``new front'' of the war against 
drugs: methamphetamine.
  I urge my colleagues to join me today in not only supporting our law 
enforcement officers who risk their lives each day to keep our 
communities safe, but to join me and other Members of the Congressional 
Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine by pledging to stop the 
scourge of meth across our Nation.
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I have no other requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal) that the House suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1028.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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