[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 106 (Tuesday, June 25, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H4136-H4137]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AMERICAN COOPERATION WITH OUR NEIGHBORS ACT
Mr. McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2789) to direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy
on efforts to strengthen subnational cooperation between the United
States and Mexico, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2789
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``American Cooperation with
Our Neighbors Act''.
SEC. 2. SUBNATIONAL COOPERATION STRATEGY.
(a) In General.--Not later than 270 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in
coordination with the Administrator of the United States
Agency for International Development, shall submit to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a
strategy on efforts to strengthen subnational cooperation
between the United States and Mexico for the purposes of--
(1) enhancing law enforcement cooperation and local, State,
and Federal security forces cooperation at a subnational
level for the purpose of curbing fentanyl trafficking and
other synthetic opioids, including activities such as--
(A) bolstering technical assistance and coordination for
law enforcement agencies and local, State, and Federal
security forces;
(B) carrying out exchange programs for the purposes of
professional development; and
(C) enhancing data sharing, as appropriate;
(2) bolstering subnational dialogue and capacity building
between Federal and local governments, civil society, faith-
based organizations, and business community leaders and
integrating issues faced by local communities, including with
respect to trafficking of fentanyl and other synthetic
opioids; and
(3) strengthening capacity building and provide resources
for border towns and organizations within those towns that
attempt to meet the needs of communities.
(b) Update.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the
submission of the strategy under subsection (a), the
President shall submit to the congressional committees
specified in subsection (a) an update containing an
assessment of the implementation and effectiveness of the
strategy, lessons learned from the past year with respect to
the strategy, and planned changes to the strategy.
(c) Form.--The strategy under subsection (a), and the
update under subsection (b), shall be submitted in
unclassified form.
(d) Limitation on Data Sharing.--
(1) Limitation.--The Secretary of State may not carry out
any project, program, or activity that implements the
strategy under subsection (a) for the purpose specified in
paragraph (1)(C) of such subsection until the Secretary
submits to the appropriate congressional committees a
notification regarding the data intended to be shared with
foreign countries pursuant to such strategy.
(2) Appropriate congressional committees.--In this
subsection, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(A) the Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on
Homeland Security, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of
Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the Committee on
Foreign Relations, and the Select Committee on Intelligence
of the Senate.
SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW OF ACCESS TO FINANCE IN
CARICOM MEMBER STATES.
(a) Review.--The Secretary of State, in consultation with
the Secretary of Treasury, shall conduct a review to
determine any steps, balancing costs and benefits, that the
Secretaries could take to expand financial access to the
member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), including
through a review of--
(1) sanctions enforcement laws and compliance standards;
(2) reporting requirements pertaining to narcotics
trafficking and illicit finance thereof;
(3) possible expansion of embassies and consulates in the
region; and
(4) programming or lack thereof pertaining to access to
capital in the region.
(b) Report.--The Secretary shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report on the findings of the
Secretary pertaining to the review under subsection (a).
(c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this
section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. McCormick) and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stanton)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia.
General Leave
Mr. McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
[[Page H4137]]
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Georgia?
There was no objection.
Mr. McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, fentanyl trafficked over our southern border from Mexico
is killing huge numbers of Americans and ravaging our communities.
Synthetic opioids kill about 75,000 Americans annually. That is the
equivalent of 25 9/11 attacks every year. Just one kilogram of fentanyl
has the potential to kill one-half million people.
In the last 4 years, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has seized
more than 66,000 pounds of fentanyl. That is enough to kill the entire
population of the United States 45 times over. However, there is
obviously much more that is not seized and is infiltrating our
communities.
We need all levels of government in Mexico to assist in fighting this
urgent crisis.
This bill, H.R. 2789, will require a strategy to strengthen
subnational cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico by enhancing law
enforcement cooperation, as well as cooperation with local, State, and
Federal security forces. Enhancing these partnerships is critical to
curbing fentanyl trafficking entering the United States.
This bill also requires a review of access to financing for member
states of the Caribbean Community, which is CARICOM, as well as
sanctions enforcement laws and compliance standards, narcotics
trafficking and finance, and the U.S. diplomatic footprint in the
region.
The Caribbean is a key gateway to the United States, and the Chinese
Community Party is working to increase its influence in the
neighborhood. We must ensure that we are doing what we can to counter
their malign influence in our hemisphere.
This bipartisan bill was approved at a markup of the Foreign Affairs
Committee, along with a Republican amendment to ensure robust
congressional oversight of its implementation.
Mr. Speaker, I support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. STANTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I represent the border State of Arizona. I have heard
from families in my community who have lost loved ones to fentanyl
overdoses.
This Congress has increased funding to Customs and Border Protection
year-over-year and has dedicated historic resources to modernize the
inspection equipment and other critical infrastructure at our ports of
entry, where most drugs are trafficked through.
However, we need to use every tool we have to combat this epidemic,
to stop drugs from coming into our country and to increase prevention
and treatment efforts. The Federal Government must leverage the
expertise of our partners in local law enforcement, business and civic
leaders, NGOs, and faith-based organizations on both sides of the
border.
{time} 1645
My bipartisan bill, the American Cooperation with Our Neighbors Act,
tasks the Department of State and U.S. Agency for International
Development with improving cooperation and collaboration between the
United States and Mexico because this isn't just an American problem.
Fentanyl is trafficked into the U.S. largely from a single source,
Mexican cartels. These criminal enterprises manufacture this very
lucrative, very potent, and very hard-to-track drug and fuel rampant
corruption and violence in Mexico.
Our bill would foster sustained and strategic collaboration to fight
the fentanyl crisis, ensuring that we are using our resources and local
expertise wisely.
H.R. 2789 aims to improve coordination between the Federal Government
and local leaders, businesses, hospitals, and faith-based organizations
that are working to combat the fallout from the opioid epidemic, like
organizations treating substance abuse or creating alternatives to gang
affiliation, and businesses that make fentanyl testing strips and
innovate ways to keep our pharmaceuticals safe.
It also focuses heavily on improving coordination between local law
enforcement agencies, State and Federal security forces, and our
counterparts in Mexico by sharing data, creating professional
development exchange programs, and supporting technical assistance to
crack down on fentanyl traffickers.
H.R. 2789 also addresses a critical issue for our neighbors in the
Caribbean community: financial access and inclusion. For too long,
countries across the Caribbean have struggled with limited access to
financial services, curtailing economic growth and prosperity, and
their capacity to advance regional security. These challenges have been
exacerbated by devastating climate events, high costs of living, and
restrictive banking models.
This bill mandates a thorough review by the State Department, in
consultation with the United States Treasury, of barriers and solutions
to accelerate access to capital and financial services for the people
of the Caribbean. This study will help us better understand how we can
cooperate with our third border.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Kean for his partnership on these
critical issues, and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes''
on H.R. 2789.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers and reserve
the right to close.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. STANTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume
for the purpose of closing.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation supports two major priorities: tackling
the scourge of fentanyl and illicit crime along our southern border and
bolstering the economic prosperity of our partners across the Caribbean
community. By investing in our border communities in the United States
and Mexico, fostering dialogue, training, and exchange with civil
society, H.R. 2789 provides law enforcement and community leaders with
additional tools to fight back against crime and violence.
It also represents a strategic investment in the United States' third
border with the Caribbean, identifying levers to accelerate financial
inclusion and barriers that are holding the region back economically.
H.R. 2789 stands for a better future and proposes concrete ways to
advance peace, security, and prosperity in the Western Hemisphere. I
hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this important bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, the Biden administration is failing to stop the deadly
scourge of fentanyl across the open U.S.-Mexico border.
In my experience as an ER physician, just a short period ago, I
experienced about one to four overdoses per night, four patients from
the ages of 17 to 36 who I could not revive and who died. Last year in
the U.S., there were 75,000 fentanyl deaths.
To address this emergency, we need a better strategy for regional law
enforcement and better coordination with our neighbors. I thank the
bipartisan authors of this bill, Mr. Stanton and Mr. Kean, as well as
Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Meeks for moving this bill forward.
Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I encourage my colleagues to do
the same. 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. McCormick) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 2789, as amended.
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. McCORMICK. Mr. 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, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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