[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 1 (Thursday, January 4, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S127]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ALLARD:
  S. 132. A bill to end the trafficking of methamphetamines and 
precursor chemicals across the United States and its borders; to the 
Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, the first bill I present today is to 
address one of the biggest current scourges of our citizens--
methamphetamine abuse.
  Just this week, a report published by Colorado's Meth Task Force 
cited Denver as a major distribution center for meth in the U.S.
  Our Nation has been hard hit by the illegal trafficking of meth 
across U.S. borders. This is a national issue that is growing at a rate 
that constantly presents a challenge to our talented law enforcement 
officials. Through our work on the Combat Meth Act, we have provided 
them with many tools to fight the domestic production of meth. We are 
now called upon to respond to the issue of foreign produced meth as it 
presents a growing threat to the U.S.
  In just 10 years, meth has become America's worst drug problem--worse 
than marijuana, cocaine or heroin. My home state of Colorado, like the 
rest of the Nation, faces challenges associated with the growing 
epidemic. Although the number of meth labs in the state is on the 
decline, meth distribution remains rampant because of Denver's location 
at the intersection of two major interstate highways, both of which 
serve as pipelines for the distribution of meth after it enters our 
country.
  This evidence is echoed by the many local drug task forces, law 
enforcement officials, and District Attorneys who are tasked with 
tackling meth within our communities and who I have worked with on this 
issue.
  According to estimates from the DEA, an alarming 80 percent of the 
meth used in the United States comes from larger labs, increasingly 
abroad, while only 20 percent of the meth consumed in this country 
comes from small laboratories.
  Therefore, I propose that we improve efforts to curb the flow of meth 
both within and across our borders. We must take steps to expand 
enforcement to reduce the amount of meth being trafficked into the 
United States by establishing stricter penalties for meth offenders, 
improving coordination with foreign law enforcement officials, and 
examining the serious meth problems faced by Indian reservations.
  The Methamphetamine Trafficking Enforcement Act of 2007 that I am 
introducing today is a first step to fighting the trafficking of this 
drug. My bill addresses the distribution issue by dramatically lowering 
the quantity and dollar amount thresholds for federal criminal 
prosecution of leaders of methamphetamine distribution rings.
  The trafficking of meth across our borders makes Federal action 
necessary, but this is not our war to fight alone. This bill also 
presses upon the United States Trade Representative, the Secretary of 
State, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Homeland Security to 
include new ways to curb the illicit use and shipment of 
pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, and similar chemicals in multilateral and 
bilateral negotiations. Federal law enforcement officials will 
collaborate with their foreign counterparts to fight meth 
internationally. Working together, we can find a long term solution.
  According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the use, production and 
distribution of meth on Indian lands has increased in the past decade. 
With limited numbers of tribal law enforcement officials, meth can 
easily flow into and be trafficked out of many Indian reservations. 
This bill urges the Attorney General to research and report to Congress 
the challenges faced by all Indian reservations and make 
recommendations to help them address meth trafficking and abuse.
  We must recognize the immediacy of the issue of methamphetamine 
trafficking. It is important that we protect the U.S. and its borders 
to ensure national security and the safety of our communities. I look 
forward to working with my colleagues on this issue and invite them to 
cosponsor the Methamphetamine Trafficking Enforcement Act of 2007.
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