[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 22, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H368-H370]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
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HONORING THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD
Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 866) honoring the brave men and women of the
United States Coast Guard whose tireless work, dedication, and
commitment to protecting the United States have led to the Coast Guard
seizing over 350,000 pounds of cocaine at sea during 2007, far
surpassing all of our previous records.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 866
Whereas the estimated street value of the cocaine seized by
the Coast Guard in 2007 is more than $4,700,000,000 or nearly
half of the Coast Guard's annual budget;
Whereas the Coast Guard's at sea drug interdictions are
making a difference in the lives of American citizens
evidenced by the reduced supply of cocaine in more than 35
major cities throughout the United States;
Whereas keeping illegal drugs from reaching our shores
where they undermine American values and threaten families,
schools, and communities continues to be an important
national priority;
Whereas through robust interagency teamwork, collaboration
with international partners, and ever-more effective tools
and tactics, the Coast Guard has seized more than 2,000,000
pounds of cocaine during the past 10 years and will continue
to tighten the web of detection and interdiction at sea; and
Whereas the Coast Guard men and women who, while away from
family and hundreds of miles from our shores, execute this
dangerous mission, as well as other vital maritime safety,
security, and environmental protection missions, with quiet
dedication and without want of public recognition, continue
to show dedication and selfless service in protecting the
Nation and the American people: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the United States House of Representatives
honors the United States Coast Guard, with its proud 217 year
legacy of maritime law enforcement and border protection,
along with the brave men and women whose efforts clearly
demonstrate the honor, respect, and devotion to duty that
ensures America's parents can sleep soundly knowing the Coast
Guard is on patrol.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) and the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Coble)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oregon.
General Leave
Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 866.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Oregon?
There was no objection.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, the United States Coast Guard provides extraordinary
service to our Nation on a daily basis. They are providing for homeland
security. They are providing in this case that we will talk about in
some depth a drug interdiction to keep our citizens safe and deprive
drug traffickers of easy access to the United States, and they also
provide life-saving services, in addition to other routine law
enforcement and monitoring activities.
This seizure is fairly extraordinary: 350,000 pounds of cocaine with
an estimated street value of about $4.7 billion. That is more than half
the budget of the United States Coast Guard. It is extraordinary for
this, the smallest of our uniformed services, to have provided that
much protection for our country.
There are 41,000 men and women in the Coast Guard who patrol our
Nation's shores, gather and process intelligence from around the world
every single day of the year, as I mentioned earlier, both a homeland
security purpose, and in this case, to interdict drug smuggling.
Though most Americans may not often see the Coast Guard at work along
our 95,000 miles of coastline, you can be certain that the effects of
the service's essential work ripple down into even local neighborhoods.
Drug dealers are feeling the effects of the Coast Guard's good work as
they complain of short supplies in more than 35 major U.S. cities.
The Coast Guard has been guarding our coasts and securing our borders
since 1790. They do so without need for special recognition. They
execute their missions daily, whether it is maritime safety,
environmental protection, search and rescue, maritime law enforcement
or homeland security.
Due to the Coast Guard's aggressive enforcement in monitoring the
Caribbean drug routes, drug smugglers have now had to resort to much
more dangerous and expensive tactics providing a deterrent. They've had
deterrents to specific routes, which takes them more than 1,000 miles
offshore, which costs them more money and presents logistical
difficulties, and yet again, gives the Coast Guard further
opportunities to interdict.
Although the Coast Guard is the smallest of the seven uniformed
services, it is the Nation's leading maritime enforcement agency.
Interdicting drugs is an Interagency effort. The Coast Guard relies
heavily on their partnerships with numerous Federal and State agencies,
including the Department of Defense, Federal Bureau of Investigation,
Drug Enforcement Administration and Customs and Border Patrol to extend
their law enforcement authority.
These partnerships are a critical component of their interdiction
success. They have also negotiated international bilateral agreements
to allow them to conduct operations and stop illegal smuggling outside
of U.S. territorial waters.
H. Res. 866 honors the brave men and women of the Coast Guard whose
tireless work, dedication and commitment to protecting the United
States resulted in this extraordinary interdiction of illegal drug
shipments in 2007, and on a daily basis protects our Nation and our
citizens.
I rise in strong support of H. Res. 866 and urge adoption of the
resolution.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. COBLE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
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Madam Speaker, initially, I would like to express thanks to Chairman
Oberstar and Subcommittee Chairman Cummings for their support of H.
Res. 866, and I also want to express thanks to Ranking Member Mica and
Subcommittee Ranking Member LaTourette for their support of the measure
and the members on the subcommittee who cosponsored the resolution.
H. Res. 866, Madam Speaker, recognizes the men and women of the
United States Coast Guard whose efforts led to a record year in drug
interdiction. They are to be commended for their dedication and
selfless service in protecting the American people.
Madam Speaker, I'm going to read some numbers imminently, and
oftentimes when one reads numbers, it becomes boring and induces sleep,
but these numbers I think are significant to the issue at hand.
In 2007, the Coast Guard seized over 355,000 pounds of cocaine,
besting the previous record by almost 20,000 pounds. These
interdictions removed more than $4.7 billion worth of illegal drugs
destined for our communities. Because of these efforts, today our
families, schools and communities are more safe and secure despite the
bold and sophisticated actions of drug smugglers.
I'd like to take a minute to highlight a few interdictions which led
to this year's drug seizure record. First, the Coast Guard made its
largest maritime cocaine seizure when it intercepted a Panamanian
vessel carrying more than 33,000 pounds of narcotics in March of last
year. Additionally, in September of 2007, the Coast Guard interdicted
more than 9,000 pounds of cocaine and 3,600 gallons of liquid cocaine.
Finally, Coast Guard men and women, in collaboration with interagency
partners, interdicted and boarded a self-propelled, semi-submersible
vessel loaded with an estimated $352 billion worth of cocaine this past
August.
These success stories, Madam Speaker, are the result of an
interagency approach to stemming the tide of illegal drugs. According
to Director John Walters of the Office of National Drug Control Policy,
the efforts are clearly working as the average price of cocaine has
increased and the quality decreased.
Since 1790, the Coast Guard has been the Nation's leading maritime
law enforcement agency. Today, missions include drug interdiction,
migrant interdiction, fisheries enforcement, environmental compliance
and safe boating enforcement. Clearly, the success of the men and women
of the Coast Guard is attributed to the multifaceted nature of this
branch.
The Coast Guard also confronts unique obstacles with migrant
smugglers who, not unlike drug runners, are becoming more brazen and
bold in their efforts. I believe we must continue to work to provide
the enhanced penalties necessary to deter and punish dangerous, high-
speed pursuits and other patently unsafe activity associated with
maritime alien smuggling. If we can implement increased deterrence, I
have no doubt that the success that the Coast Guard has in drug
interdiction will translate to similar success with migrant
interdiction.
As we move forward, we need to ensure that the Coast Guard has the
appropriate resources to ensure our safety and security. Currently, the
Coast Guard is in the midst of a fleet modernization. The overall
intent is to provide the men and women of the Coast Guard with the
necessary tools to protect our homeland. I applaud the actions taken by
Admiral Allen, the commandant, to move this acquisition program, which
is desperately needed, in the right direction.
I also again applaud Chairman Oberstar, Subcommittee Chairman
Cummings, as well as Congressman Mica and Congressman LaTourette, the
ranking members of the full committee and the subcommittee, for their
efforts to complement and oversee these actions, and I look forward to
working with my colleagues to ensure that the Coast Guard has the
equipment necessary to meet our homeland security and safety needs.
Again, Madam Speaker, we commend the men and women of the United
States Coast Guard for their drug interdiction success in 2007, and
again, I want to thank my colleagues for their consideration and
support of H. Res. 866.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. COBLE. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder).
Mr. SOUDER. Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished former chairman
from North Carolina who's been a leader in the anti-narcotics efforts
in the Judiciary Committee and elsewhere and a tireless combatant
against illegal drugs. I also want to thank Chairman Oberstar who
clearly knows the importance of the Coast Guard in the Great Lakes, and
Ranking Member John Mica who headed the Drug Subcommittee, who I
succeeded as chairman of that subcommittee a number of years ago;
Subcommittee Chairman Cummings, who was the ranking member of the Drug
Subcommittee over the last 6 years; and my friend Steve LaTourette as
well.
This resolution has a particular personal importance to me, too,
beyond the larger question. The big bust of 42,845 pounds of cocaine
was primarily done by the Coast Guard Cutter Sherman. Captain Charlie
Diaz served as a detailee to our subcommittee for a number of years,
and then was detailed to the Speaker's office, and I want to
congratulate Charlie in particular and his crew on the Sherman.
It would be nice to claim that we taught him how to do this, but in
fact, we're just really glad that while he was here on the Hill
learning how we work that he didn't lose the skills necessary to track
down the huge loads of cocaine and other things the Coast Guard does.
It's also important that in this big bust where they got the
freighter Gatun and 14 people just off the coast of Panama, it's
critical to have the intelligence. We, earlier, heard about the joint
agency effort, particularly JATF, the Joint Agency Task Force, based
out of south Florida that is run by the Coast Guard and provides such
valuable intelligence. You're just not going to pick up a boat and find
42,000 pounds of cocaine, nearly 20 tons of cocaine. You have to have
decent intelligence because when you look at the Bahamas and all those
boats out there, we have to have these kind of coordinated efforts, and
JATF is a key part of it, and drug intelligence is a key part of it.
I want to thank Commandant Allen, Admiral Allen, in particular, for
understanding that narcotics are part of the terrorism effort. There's
tremendous pressure on the Coast Guard, and in the Great Lakes and
Alaska and many places, its fisheries, search and rescue is still the
day-to-day what they do. They have all sorts of migrant interventions
way out even coming in towards Hawaii, coming off of Haiti, coming off
of Cuba, huge challenges in migrant interdiction.
They're trying to patrol and have increasing narcotics coming off
from the Andean region into the eastern Pacific off of Mexico. We have
routes that are going into Guatemala and Panama, like this big
interception, biggest bust in the history of the Coast Guard. There are
constant challenges.
Last year, we had zero deaths from what we just were talking about,
9/11-type terrorism, and 20,000 from drug overdose. Since 9/11, we've
lost roughly 120,000 Americans to drug and alcohol abuse and all the
violence that associates with that, and we lost 3,300 at 9/11.
It's important to understand we're dealing with all sorts of
terrorism here, and the Coast Guard has been an important element. As
the ranking member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border,
Port Security and Global Anti-Terrorism, I'm one who understands how
conflicted they are in their missions: Do they stay at port and protect
the port? Are they supposed to be out getting a sailboat that tipped
over? Are they supposed to be helping the fisheries? Are they supposed
to be trying to get people in the eastern Pacific, as they go out past
the Galapagos Islands? What about the Caribbean?
They are so multitasked that this Congress has to understand that if
we're going to ask the Coast Guard to tackle all these missions, there
has to be adequate funding. We have to make sure that not only do the
Deepwater ships float, but we also need to make
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sure they have them. The controversies over the construction doesn't
change the need.
As the drug traffickers move further out into the ocean, they have to
have the ability to stay at sea longer. They can't keep running back
into port because that's when the drug dealers, and if you can smuggle
this much drugs, you can smuggle anthrax, you can smuggle nuclear
parts, you can smuggle anything. Contraband is contraband.
If we aren't out there with a physical presence, if we don't have
boats that are fast enough, if we don't have helicopters that can come
off, if we can't surround or disable, we're not going to be able to
intercept narcotics or other terrorists.
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I want to commend Commandant Allen, who also basically bailed us out
in Katrina, because the Coast Guard has served such an important
function in so many areas there is not enough we can do to thank the
men and women of the Coast Guard for their bravery, for their ability
to do multitasking. And it's very important for this Congress to honor
them and to make sure they have adequate funding.
Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of House
Resolution 866, which recognizes the brave men and women of the U.S.
Coast Guard for their tireless work and dedication in guarding our
coasts and securing our borders since 1790. I thank the distinguished
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble), a former Coastguardsman, for
introducing this resolution.
Last year was particularly noteworthy for the Coast Guard's drug
interdiction efforts. In 2007, the Coast Guard seized more than 350,000
pounds of cocaine, far surpassing all previous Coast Guard records.
This seizure had a street value of over $4.7 billion, which equates to
almost 50 percent of the Coast Guard's budget.
Throughout its history, the Coast Guard has protected the nation from
piracy, rum runners, and illegal drug and migrant smugglers. The Coast
Guard's first documented opium seizure was in 1890, by the Revenue
Cutter Wolcott. In 1921, the Coast Guard Cutter Seneca seized 1,500
cases of liquor from a rum running schooner off the coast of New
Jersey.
Due to the Coast Guard's aggressive drug interdiction pursuits, the
supply of cocaine has been greatly reduced in more than 35 major U.S.
cities. This has made a significant difference in the lives of American
citizens.
The Coast Guard has established interagency and international
partnerships which have contributed to its success. The United States
negotiated bilateral agreements with 26 Caribbean and South American
nations to allow the Coast Guard to stop illegal smuggling and conduct
operations far outside the United States territorial seas.
Through these partnerships and more effective tools and tactics, the
Coast Guard seized 2 million pounds of cocaine in the past 10 years. In
March 2007, the Coast Guard made its largest maritime cocaine seizure
in history when it intercepted and seized a Panamanian vessel carrying
approximately 20 tons of the dangerous narcotic.
I commend the brave men and women of the Coast Guard for their
selfless service and dedication to Nation and the American people. They
work tirelessly to fulfill the numerous missions of the service, from
search and rescue and environmental protection to maritime law
enforcement and homeland security. We can live each day in solace
knowing that the Coast Guard is on watch.
I urge my colleagues to join with me in strongly supporting H. Res.
866.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of
H. Res. 866, introduced by my distinguished colleague from North
Carolina, Representative Coble, honoring the brave men and women of the
United States Coast Guard whose tireless work, dedication, and
commitment to protecting the United States have led to the Coast Guard
seizing over 350,000 pounds of cocaine at sea during 2007, far
surpassing all of our previous records. This bipartisan legislation
honors the Coast Guard's important 217-year legacy of protecting
American borders and enforcing the laws of the sea.
The maritime safety laws of this country were written in
understanding and appreciation of the peril which mariners face when
they get on a ship, go out to sea, whether on the saltwater or the
fourth coastline of this country, the Great Lakes.
Americans put their trust every day in the Coast Guard to regulate
safety on ferry boats and other types of vessels conveying passengers,
or on liquefied natural gas tankers that come into our ports. We have
to ensure that the Coast Guard will get their full funding needed to
carry out those responsibilities.
The United States Coast Guard is the smallest of the seven uniformed
services of the United States. Their mission is to protect the public,
environment, and the economic and security interest of the United
States' coasts, ports, and inland waterways. During the Coast Guard's
217-year legacy of border protection and maritime law enforcement,
modern technologies have made their job more perilous. This, however,
has not deterred our Nation's brave young men and women from conducting
the dangerous duty of drug interdiction.
In 2007, the Coast Guard seized more than 350,000 pounds of cocaine
at sea. The street value of this seizure is worth over an estimated
$4.7 billion. The sum is nearly one-half of the Coast Guard's annual
budget.
The Coast Guard's at-sea drug seizures have reduced the supply of
cocaine in more than 35 major cities across the United States,
consequently making a positive difference in our American communities.
This important legislation recognizes the overwhelming contributions of
the Coast Guard to the American community. It furthermore applauds the
Coast Guard for their commitment to participating as part of a robust
interagency team and international partners that has contributed to the
seizure over 2 million pounds of cocaine in the past 10 years.
I commend the men and women of the Coast Guard, who spend countless
hours at sea away from their families while they unremittingly work to
execute their service's mission. I acknowledge the commitment and
selfless service required to protect our Nation and the American people
done by Coast Guard men and women without want of public recognition.
I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important
legislation, and, in so doing, giving our men and women in uniform the
respect and recognition they deserve.
Mr. COBLE. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 866.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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