[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 172 (Tuesday, December 21, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H8813-H8814]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NORTHERN BORDER COUNTERNARCOTICS STRATEGY ACT OF 2010
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 4748) to amend the
Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2006 to
require a northern border counternarcotics strategy, and for other
purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the Senate amendment is as follows:
Senate amendment:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Northern Border
Counternarcotics Strategy Act of 2010''.
SEC. 2. NORTHERN BORDER COUNTERNARCOTICS STRATEGY.
The Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization
Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-469; 120 Stat. 3502) is amended
by inserting after section 1110 the following:
``SEC. 1110A. REQUIREMENT FOR NORTHERN BORDER
COUNTERNARCOTICS STRATEGY.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section, the terms `appropriate
congressional committees', `Director', and `National Drug
Control Program agency' have the meanings given those terms
in section 702 of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
Reauthorization Act of 1998 (21 U.S.C. 1701).
``(b) Strategy.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this section, and every 2 years thereafter, the
Director, in consultation with the head of each relevant
National Drug Control Program agency and relevant officials
of States, local governments, tribal governments, and the
governments of other countries, shall develop a Northern
Border Counternarcotics Strategy and submit the strategy to--
``(1) the appropriate congressional committees (including
the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the
Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives);
``(2) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and the Committee
on Indian Affairs of the Senate; and
``(3) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on
Homeland Security, and the Committee on Natural Resources of
the House of Representatives.
``(c) Purposes.--The Northern Border Counternarcotics
Strategy shall--
``(1) set forth the strategy of the Federal Government for
preventing the illegal trafficking of drugs across the
international border between the United States and Canada,
including through ports of entry and between ports of entry
on the border;
``(2) state the specific roles and responsibilities of each
relevant National Drug Control Program agency for
implementing the strategy;
``(3) identify the specific resources required to enable
the relevant National Drug Control Program agencies to
implement the strategy; and
``(4) reflect the unique nature of small communities along
the international border between the United States and
Canada, ongoing cooperation and coordination with Canadian
law enforcement authorities, and variations in the volumes of
vehicles and pedestrians crossing through ports of entry
along the international border between the United States and
Canada.
``(d) Specific Content Related to Cross-border Indian
Reservations.--The Northern Border Counternarcotics Strategy
shall include--
``(1) a strategy to end the illegal trafficking of drugs to
or through Indian reservations on or near the international
border between the United States and Canada; and
``(2) recommendations for additional assistance, if any,
needed by tribal law enforcement agencies relating to the
strategy, including an evaluation of Federal technical and
financial assistance, infrastructure capacity building, and
interoperability deficiencies.
``(e) Limitation.--
``(1) In general.--The Northern Border Counternarcotics
Strategy shall not change the exiting agency authorities and
this section shall not be construed to amend or modify any
law governing interagency relationships.
``(2) Legitimate trade and travel.--The Northern Border
Counternarcotics Strategy shall be designed to promote, and
not hinder, legitimate trade and travel.
``(f) Treatment of Classified or Law Enforcement Sensitive
Information.--
``(1) In general.--The Northern Border Counternarcotics
Strategy shall be submitted in unclassified form and shall be
available to the public.
``(2) Annex.--The Northern Border Counternarcotics Strategy
may include an annex containing any classified information or
information the public disclosure of which, as determined by
the Director or the head of any relevant National Drug
Control Program agency, would be detrimental to the law
enforcement or national security activities of any Federal,
State, local, or tribal agency.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Scott) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.
General Leave
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Virginia?
There was no objection.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 4748 amends the Office of National Drug Control
Policy Reauthorization Act of 2006 to require the Director of the
National Drug Control Policy to submit to Congress a northern border
counternarcotics strategy.
The United States' northern border with Canada is the longest open
border in the world, spanning 12 States and over 4,000 miles. The House
initially passed this bill 5 months ago, recognizing the increased
amount of drug trafficking and related criminal activity occurring near
the Canadian border, including on Indian reservations in that area.
To combat this development, H.R. 4748 requires the creation of a
northern border counternarcotics strategy similar to what has been in
place for our southwest border for several years. This will promote
more effective consultation and coordination between Federal law
enforcement agencies so that we can bring new force to our efforts to
curb the flow of illegal drugs across the northern border and the crime
it brings in its wake. In addition, H.R. 4748 gives Indian tribes with
reservations on or near the Canadian border a consulting role in
implementing the strategy on their reservations.
This bill is the result of efforts by our colleague, the gentleman
from New York (Mr. Owens), whose district spans 250 miles of the border
on land along the St. Lawrence River and on Lake Erie. The Homeland
Security chairman, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson),
helped to shape the bill and bring it to the floor last summer. The
Senate has now returned the bill with some modest, but helpful,
refinements; and I urge my colleagues to support this revised version
so that we can send it to the President.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 4748, the Northern Border Counternarcotics
Strategy Act, requires the Director of the Office of National Drug
Control Policy, ONDCP, to develop a counternarcotics strategy for the
U.S. Canadian border. The House passed this legislation last July. The
Senate made several technical and conforming changes to the language
and sent it back to the House for final consideration.
Significant attention has been paid to drug trafficking along our
southern border with Mexico, but the northern border with Canada is
also a major transit point for high-potency marijuana, Ecstasy, and
other illegal drugs. According to the 2010 National Drug Threat
Assessment, Asian drug trafficking organizations produce the drug
Ecstasy in Canada and then smuggle it across the northern border into
the U.S. America's northern border is remote, heavily wooded and
sparsely populated, ideal for smugglers seeking to move their product
into the U.S. undetected.
In 2006, Congress directed the ONDCP to prepare a counternarcotics
strategy for our southwestern border. H.R. 4748 mirrors this strategy,
but for our northern border.
While we continue to address drug trafficking across our southern
border, we must not lose sight of the ease with which our northern
border can be exploited by dangerous drug smugglers. I urge my
colleagues to support this legislation.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I yield the balance of my time
to the gentleman from New York (Mr.
[[Page H8814]]
Owens), who has been working hard on this particular bill.
{time} 1200
Mr. OWENS. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Conyers and
Chairman Thompson for their leadership and for bringing H.R. 4748 to
the floor with the Senate amendment.
Our northern border with Canada spans over 4,000 miles, the longest
open border in the world. I am intimately familiar with the unique
status of our shared border. My congressional district in Upstate New
York includes 13 ports of entry and border crossings, and nearly 2,000
jobs depend on a stable trading relationship with our northern
neighbor.
We currently lack a unified approach to stopping the flow of drugs
from the northern border. As the southern border has witnessed the
spread of violence that has accompanied the increased drug trade, we
must be proactive and vigilant in ensuring that our northern border
remains safe and open for business. Organized criminal elements are
increasingly exploiting the northern border to traffic narcotics,
illicit cigarettes, firearms, and people. According to the 2010
National Drug Threat Assessment, the amount of ecstasy seized at or
between northern border points of entry increased 594 percent from 2004
to 2009. In 2009, there were 1,100 drug-related arrests in New York's
North Country. Just last week, the Franklin County Border Narcotics
Task Force caught a Malone man believed to be headed downstate with 119
pounds of marijuana. The Narcotics Task Force, consisting of law
enforcement officials from the Federal, State, and local level, stand
to benefit greatly from this legislation. They will have the added
advantage of increased cooperation and information sharing with their
counterparts across the northern border.
By enacting this important legislation into law, the Federal agency
that is responsible for stopping illegal drugs from entering the U.S.
will, for the first time, be mandated by Congress to create a
comprehensive strategy to stop the flow of drugs across the northern
border. By coordinating the efforts of Federal, State, and local
officials responsible for the safety of our communities, the Northern
Border Counternarcotics Strategy Act will help ensure that law
enforcement has the tools and information they need to keep the drug
trade out of the northern border communities.
This legislation also recognizes the important balance between
allowing the flow of legitimate trade and travel across the border with
Canada and stopping the flow of illegal narcotics. This new strategy
will reflect the unique nature of the small communities that dot the
northern border and recognize the need for continued cooperation and
coordination with our counterparts in Canadian law enforcement. This
legislation will ultimately make these communities safer, attracting
new businesses and providing the long-term assurances of protection
they need to grow and prosper.
Upstate New York has benefited for decades from a robust business
relationship with our Canadian neighbors, and any illegal activity that
takes place over our borders threatens that relationship. The Northern
Border Counternarcotics Strategy Act starts the process of developing a
new approach to combating the international drug trade along our shared
border with Canada. It is a vital component to the economic development
and safety of our communities along that border. I ask my colleagues
for their support.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, as an original cosponsor
of H.R. 4748, I urge passage of this important homeland security bill
so that it can be sent to the President for signature.
H.R. 4748, as amended by the Senate, would require the Director of
National Drug Control Policy, ONDCP, to work with Federal, state,
local, and international law enforcement to develop a comprehensive
plan to prevent drug trafficking across the Northern Border. The bill
requires the strategy to include clear recommendations for better
coordination and assistance for tribal law enforcement agencies.
More often than not, when I hear someone lament about our ``broken
borders,'' they are talking about the Southern Border. While certainly
the high-profile drug cartel violence and human smuggling activities
warrant significant attention, we must not overlook the fact that there
are significant border security challenges to the north, as well. In
recent years, a diverse array of traffickers ranging from outlaw
motorcycle gangs to Canadian drug rings have exploited the long,
sparsely populated and very wooded border to traffic in large
quantities of marijuana, ecstasy, and methamphetamines. Surveillance of
the border is particularly challenging since smugglers have a wide
range of delivery options--from helicopter and other small craft to
boat and float plane to cattle trucks and even snowmobiles.
Representative Owens, with his firsthand perspective of conditions on
the Northern Border, is to be commended for authoring this bill to
ensure that the Federal government has a unified approach to preventing
the flow of drugs into the United States through this critical border--
which spans about 4,000 miles.
The bill is not only integral to border security, but is vital for
economic development in New York's North Country and other communities
in the 13 states along our border with Canada. Thousands of jobs in
these areas depend on the swift movement of lawful commerce across the
Northern Border; illicit activity along the border risks undermining
this critical trading relationship.
I congratulate Representative Owens, a valuable member on the
Homeland Security Community, for his work on Northern Border security
issues and--especially--his efforts in introducing a strategic approach
to stemming the flow of illicit drugs across the U.S.-Canadian border.
I urge passage of H.R. 4748.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) that the House suspend the rules
and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill, H.R. 4748.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the Senate amendment was concurred in.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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