[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 56 (Wednesday, April 9, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H2078-H2081]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING CARIBBEAN DRUG CRIME

  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 865) expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives that the March 2007 report of the United Nations Office 
on Drugs and Crime and the International Bank for Reconstruction and 
Development makes an important contribution to the understanding of the 
high levels of crime and violence in the Caribbean, and that the United 
States should work with Caribbean countries to address crime and 
violence in the region, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 865

       Whereas, in his 2006 New Year's address, then Prime 
     Minister of Jamaica, P.J. Patterson, said, ``Without a doubt, 
     the high level of violent crime remains our most troubling 
     and pressing problem.'';
       Whereas, in opening the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago 
     in September 2005, President George Maxwell Richards said his 
     country was in crisis due to the escalating crime rate;
       Whereas, in March 2007, the United Nations Office on Drugs 
     and Crime (UNODC) and the International Bank for 
     Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) issued a report 
     entitled, ``Crime, Violence, and Development: Trends, Costs, 
     and Policy Options in the Caribbean'';
       Whereas the UNODC and World Bank report presents detailed 
     analyses of crime and violence in the Caribbean region and 
     offers possible policy responses;
       Whereas the UNODC and World Bank report draws on input from 
     governments, civil society organizations, and Caribbean 
     experts;
       Whereas the UNODC and World Bank report that the Caribbean 
     region has the highest murder and assault rates in the world, 
     with murder rates at 4 times the level of the United States;
       Whereas the UNODC and World Bank report that high crime 
     levels have long term developmental effects on the Caribbean:
       (1) crime cost the Jamaican economy $12,400,000,000 in 
     Jamaican dollars, 3.7 percent of its gross domestic product, 
     in 2001; and
       (2) reducing the region-wide homicide rate by \1/3\ could 
     over double the rate of economic growth per capita; and


[[Page H2079]]


       Whereas the UNODC and World Bank report reached the 
     following conclusions:
       (1) Caribbean countries are transit points and not 
     producers of cocaine. Interdiction needs to be complemented 
     by other strategies outside the region: principally demand 
     reduction in consumer countries and eradication and/or 
     alternative development in producer countries;
       (2) illegal gun trafficking is a dangerous outgrowth of the 
     drug trade. Better enforcement methods help, as can improved 
     gun interdiction in ports;
       (3) deaths and injuries from youth violence constitute a 
     major threat to public health and social and economic 
     progress across the Caribbean. Youth are disproportionately 
     represented in the ranks of both victims and perpetrators of 
     crime and violence;
       (4) although the average deportee from the United States to 
     the Caribbean is not involved in criminal activity, a 
     minority of deportees may be causing serious problems, both 
     by direct involvement in crime and by providing a perverse 
     role model for youth. The report recommends that more 
     services be offered to reintegrate deportees, with deporting 
     countries contributing to the cost of these programs;
       (5) some types of crime, such as organized crime and drug 
     and illegal firearms trafficking, are impervious to 
     alternative prevention initiatives and require an efficient 
     criminal justice system, and therefore urgent priorities for 
     improving the criminal justice system in the region include 
     the development of management information systems, tracking 
     of justice system performance, monitoring of reform programs, 
     and increased accountability to citizens;
       (6) several Caribbean countries are increasingly investing 
     in crime prevention--using approaches such as integrated 
     citizen security programs, crime prevention through 
     environmental design, and a public health approach that 
     focuses on risk factors for violent behaviors;
       (7) youth violence is a particularly serious problem in the 
     region, and youth homicide rates in several countries of the 
     region are significantly above the world average. To address 
     issues of youth violence, Caribbean policymakers should 
     invest in programs that have been shown to be successful in 
     careful evaluations such as: (i) early childhood development 
     and mentoring programs; (ii) interventions to keep high risk 
     youth in secondary schools; and (iii) opening schools after 
     hours and on weekends to offer additional activities and 
     training; and
       (8) many of the issues facing the Caribbean transcend 
     national boundaries and require a coordinated regional and 
     international response. Demand for drugs emanates from Europe 
     and the United States; deportees are sent back to the region 
     from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada; and 
     many weapons that are trafficked are brought from the United 
     States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) welcomes the recommendations for more effective law 
     enforcement and crime prevention efforts contained in the 
     March 2007 UNODC and World Bank report, ``Crime, Violence, 
     and Development: Trends, Costs, and Policy Options in the 
     Caribbean'', to the extent those recommendations do not 
     conflict with existing U.S. law;
       (2) urges the United States Government to consider fully 
     and carefully the recommendations in the UNODC and World Bank 
     Report and to take the recommendations into account when 
     developing United States policy toward the current member 
     states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Dominican 
     Republic;
       (3) urges the governments of United States and other drug-
     consuming countries to increase counter-narcotics assistance 
     to the current member states of CARICOM and the Dominican 
     Republic;
       (4) urges the United States Government to increase 
     coordination on policy development and implementation with 
     the current member states of CARICOM and the Dominican 
     Republic to help combat crime and violence in the region;
       (5) urges the Department of State and the Department of 
     Homeland Security to work with the current member states of 
     CARICOM and the Dominican Republic to mitigate the negative 
     effects of United States deportation policy;
       (6) urges the current member states of CARICOM and the 
     Dominican Republic to consider fully and carefully the 
     recommendations in the UNODC and World Bank Report, and to 
     take the recommendations into account, especially regarding 
     improvements in their criminal justice systems; and
       (7) urges the United States Government to consider the 
     impact on the current member states of CARICOM and the 
     Dominican Republic of the proposed Merida Initiative to 
     combat drugs, violence, and transnational crime in Mexico and 
     Central America, especially whether a successful plan will 
     drive narco-traffickers from Mexico and Central America to 
     the current member states of CARICOM or the Dominican 
     Republic.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Payne) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, 
and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Over the past decade, the level of crime and violence throughout the 
Caribbean basin has increased. Last year, the United Nations and the 
World Bank issued a joint report titled, ``Crime, Violence, and 
Development: Trends, Costs and Policy Options in the Caribbean'' which 
confirms this trend.
  The report makes a very disturbing finding: Crime and violence have 
generally increased in the Caribbean, to the point where the region as 
a whole now possesses the highest overall crime rate of any region in 
the world.
  While I note that each member of the Caribbean community is 
different, and that some countries are successful in maintaining 
relatively low levels of crime, the report's numbers, while taken as a 
whole, are alarming. They document extremely high levels of murder, 
rape, and drug trafficking on a massive scale.
  If the high levels of crime and violence in the Caribbean persist, 
they will undermine long-term economic development by eroding the 
region's trade, commerce, and tourism.

                              {time}  1045

  The impact of this regional law and order would have a crisis which 
could extend beyond the borders of CARICOM states by impacting 
immigration patterns to the United States and by undermining our 
efforts to fight organized crime and drug trade. Regional instability 
related to crime and violence in the region could also undermine U.S. 
border security efforts.
  As the report points out, the United States is part of the cause of 
some of these problems, and we could also be a big part in the 
solution. Our allies in the Caribbean stand ready to partner with us in 
finding workable solutions. We have an opportunity to address this 
problem before it destabilizes much of the hemisphere and jeopardizes 
U.S. security.
  I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 865 and the accompanying 
amendment in the nature of a substitute to express the sense of the 
House that the United States and its CARICOM allies take up the U.N./
World Bank report's recommendations and work together to solve this 
potentially devastating problem before it's too late.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  The alarming rate of crime and violence in the Caribbean region 
cannot be ignored. Several countries have reached the point of crisis, 
while attempting to counter the social, economic and political 
repercussions of organized gangs and narcotrafficking.
  Murder rates in the Caribbean are higher than in any other region in 
the world, and have risen in recent years for many of the countries in 
the region. Recent increases in kidnappings have been observed in the 
region over the past few years, and assault rates, based on police 
reports, are significantly above the world average.
  Serving as seemingly insurmountable obstacles to the economic and 
social progress of countries in the Caribbean, the pervasive nature of 
crime and violence again cannot be ignored. We have a shared 
responsibility to confront this threat and engage in coordinated 
efforts that improve the quality of life for all of our communities.
  The security threats faced in the Western Hemisphere as a result of 
violence and narcotrafficking call for strong action on the part of our 
government. So far, our partnerships with countries throughout the 
hemisphere are demonstrating significant success in the fight against 
drugs and crime; such as the case of Colombia, where substantial 
improvements in security have yielded positive patterns of growth, 
stability, and investment.
  We have good reason to be optimistic, Mr. Speaker. The deadly flow of

[[Page H2080]]

cocaine into the United States has seen a dramatic decline in the last 
few months. Purity levels are falling, and retail prices are rising.
  We must remain committed to defeating the perilous threats of crime 
and violence that endanger the youth and prosperity of our Nations 
today. Together, we must tackle these challenges and strive to further 
tighten the bonds that hold us together as nearby neighbors.
  I am confident that through future cooperation and coordination, we 
can continue to see success and support the true potential of our 
friends in the Caribbean.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PAYNE. I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. 
Clarke) who, incidentally, her district has one of the largest 
Caribbean communities in the United States, and her heritage is from 
the Caribbean. I am so pleased to yield her 5 minutes on her first 
resolution in her freshman year. I commend you for that.
  Ms. CLARKE. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the Representative from 
New Jersey (Mr. Payne) for yielding time, and for his words about this 
important resolution.
  I also wholeheartedly thank Chairman Howard Berman of the Foreign 
Affairs Committee along with Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Chairman 
Eliot Engel, full committee ranking member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and 
subcommittee ranking member Dan Burton for their support and great help 
in moving this legislation through committee to the House floor.
  The release of the U.N./World Bank report, ``Crime, Violence and 
Development: Trends, Costs and Policy Options in the Caribbean'' should 
be a wake-up call for every American interested in the security of our 
Nation.
  As the report points out, a variety of factors, including some for 
which we in the U.S. are partly responsible, such as a seemingly 
insatiable and heavy illicit legal drug consumption and extremely 
problematic deportation policies has contributed to our neighboring 
Caribbean region having the highest crime rate in the world.
  While today the region remains a wonderful place for Americans to 
visit, and most hospitable tourist destination in the world, in the 
long term, if this trend continues, it will wreak serious social, 
economic, and security troubles for many of the tranquil Caribbean 
nations.
  Allowing this situation to deteriorate for years to come will 
ultimately create a security threat, not just for the Caribbean states, 
but, indeed, for our own country, as well as an unstable Caribbean 
region, and would create a vast vulnerability in America's border 
security.
  Many of the problems identified by this report have long been 
recognized by Caribbean leadership. These emerging democracies and 
developing nations are doing everything within their means to 
collaborate on the safety of their respective nations and, by 
extension, our hemisphere.
  Now, with the confirmation provided by this report in hand, ignorance 
is no excuse. The U.S. must partner with its Western Hemisphere 
neighbors and allow it to find workable solutions that will help the 
people of the Caribbean and ensure long-term security and stability of 
our region.
  As the daughter of Caribbean immigrants, and a district that boasts 
the largest concentration of Caribbean Americans in the Nation, and as 
a member of the Committee on Homeland Security, I ask my colleagues to 
support this resolution calling for the U.S. to take up the solutions 
contained in the very important U.N./World Bank report. If we act now, 
we will help our allies to reduce crime greatly at levels before the 
situation becomes far less manageable and a threat to the Western 
Hemisphere that is, indeed, within our global community.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H. Res. 865, ``Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 
that the March 2007 report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and 
Crime and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development 
makes an important contribution to the understanding of the high levels 
of crime and violence in the Caribbean, and that the United States 
should work with Caribbean countries to address crime and violence in 
the region,'' introduced by my friend and colleague Congresswoman 
Yvette Clarke, of which I am proud to be an original cosponsor.
  Mr. Speaker, I have traveled in the Caribbean recently, and I, 
together with many of my colleagues on the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs, had the opportunity to meet with CARICOM leaders last year. I 
believe that it is extremely beneficial to all our nations, and to the 
international community, that we continue this trend of increasing 
engagement and interaction. Equally important is that we ensure that, 
in our process of engagement, that we are truly listening and 
responding to the concerns presented by government and civil society 
leaders of the Caribbean nations, as well as addressing our own social, 
economic, and security goals.
  Crime and violence in the Caribbean region is undoubtedly one area in 
which our concerns are in line with local needs. Most observers have 
indicated that the level of crime and violence throughout the Caribbean 
basin has increased over the past decade, a trend confirmed by a joint 
report issued by the United Nations and the World Bank last year. This 
report, titled ``Crime, Violence, and Development: Trends, Costs, and 
Policy Options in the Caribbean,'' found that crime and violence have 
increased throughout the Caribbean to such an alarming extent that the 
region, as a whole, now has the highest overall crime rate of any 
region in the world.
  Mr. Speaker, it is dangerous to characterize an entire region, as 
each nation is different; however, there are some general statistics 
regarding the Caribbean Community that cannot be ignored. While some 
countries have been relatively successful at maintaining low levels of 
crime, as a whole, the Caribbean has murder rates four times higher 
than those of the United States. Regional rape rates are above the 
global average, and three countries in the region are among the 10 
countries globally with the highest rate of rape.

  In addition to violent crime, trafficking of drugs remains a 
significant problem in the region, and one that has a serious impact on 
our own country as well. In 2005 alone, for example, 30 tons of cocaine 
transited through Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. According 
to the White House's Office of National Drug Policy, the Caribbean 
Corridor accounted for approximately 8 percent of the total documented 
flow of cocaine departing South America in 2004. The region also plays 
a prominent role in drug-related money laundering.
  Mr. Speaker, these facts combine to create a crisis with long-term 
developmental consequences. Trade, commerce, tourism, and social well-
being are all threatened by these crimes, and the nations in the 
Caribbean region will not be the only ones to suffer. Declining 
stability in the Western Hemisphere will seriously impair U.S. efforts 
to fight organized crime and drug trade, while instability in the 
Caribbean region has historically impacted immigration patterns to the 
United States. The Caribbean Community is one of our most important 
allies in ensuring our borders are secure--regional instability means 
gaps in our border protection efforts.
  The United States must work together with our Caribbean friends and 
allies, to develop effective partnerships in search of workable 
solutions. If the Caribbean is destabilized, all of our nations will 
suffer the consequences. We have an opportunity to address this problem 
before it destabilizes much of the hemisphere and jeopardizes U.S. 
security.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting 
H. Res. 865 to express the sense of the House that the U.S. and its 
CARICOM allies take up the U.N./World Bank report's recommendations and 
work together to solve this potentially devastating problem before it 
is too late.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 
865, welcoming the recommendations contained in the March 2007 World 
Bank report ``Crime, Violence, and Development: Trends, Costs, and 
Policy Options in the Caribbean.'' I would like to commend my colleague 
and sister from the Caribbean, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke inroducing 
this legislation.
  Too often the Caribbean is overlooked when issues of global economy 
and diplomacy are discussed. I am pleased that H. Res. 865 urges the 
United States, other drug-consuming countries, and the Caribbean 
countries to increase counter-narcotics efforts in the Caribbean 
region. As a member of the House representing the U.S. Virgin Islands, 
I know firsthand the negative impact that crime can have on the economy 
of Caribbean islands. The report indicates that high rates of crime and 
violence in the Caribbean are undermining growth, threatening human 
welfare, and impeding social development. For the most part, the 
economy of the Caribbean is tourism driven. Safety and security are 
vital to providing quality tourism, and crime is a direct threat to the 
Caribbean tourism industry.
  One contributing factor to the growing crime problem in the region is 
our country's deportation program that sends individuals who have

[[Page H2081]]

lived in this country for years--almost all their lives in some cases--
back to their native country, if they have committed a crime. The 
individuals who learned their trade in this country are sent back often 
with no notification, many times without any known family and sometimes 
not knowing the language, as in Haiti. As long as we continue to deport 
criminals as we do now, we will continue to seed the growing drug and 
criminal activity in the Caribbean. Churches, especially those 
associated with Prison Ministries International are concerned and 
actively pursuing programs to address this situation.
  Today, H. Res. 865 takes a positive step toward addressing the crime 
in the Caribbean by recognizing that a resolution requires an approach 
that ``transcends Caribbean national boundaries.'' I am encouraged and 
hopeful that this report will provide a basis for developing good 
practices to eradicate crime in the Caribbean.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further 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 New Jersey (Mr. Payne) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 865, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``A resolution expressing the 
sense of the House of Representatives that the March 2007 report of the 
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Bank for 
Reconstruction and Development makes an important contribution to the 
understanding of the high levels of crime and violence in the 
Caribbean, and that the United States should work with the current 
member states of Caribbean Community and the Dominican Republic to 
address crime and violence in the region.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________