[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 22154]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                        CERTIFICATION OF MEXICO

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Foreign Relations be discharged from further consideration of S. 
Res. 366 and the Senate then proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 366) expressing the Sense of the 
     Senate on the certification of Mexico.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the 
resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 366) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 366

       Whereas Mexico will inaugurate a new government on 1 
     December 2000 that will be the first change of authority from 
     one party to another;
       Whereas the 2nd July election of Vincente Fox Quesada of 
     the Alliance for Change marks an historic transition of power 
     in open and fair elections;
       Whereas Mexico and the United States share a 2,000-mile 
     border, Mexico is the United States' second largest trading 
     partner, and the two countries share historic and cultural 
     ties;
       Whereas drug production and trafficking are a threat to the 
     national interests and the well-being of the citizens of both 
     countries; and
       Whereas United States-Mexican cooperation on drugs is a 
     cornerstone for policy for both countries in developing 
     effective programs to stop drug use, drug production, and 
     drug trafficking: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That (a) the Senate, on behalf of the people of 
     the United States--
       (1) welcomes the constitutional transition of power in 
     Mexico;
       (2) congratulates the people of Mexico and their elected 
     representatives for this historic change; and
       (3) expresses its intent to continue to work cooperatively 
     with Mexican authorities to promote broad and effective 
     efforts for the health and welfare of United States and 
     Mexican citizens endangered by international drug 
     trafficking, use, and production.
       (b) Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate 
     that the incoming new governments in both Mexico and the 
     United States must develop and implement a counterdrug 
     program that more effectively addresses the official 
     corruption, the increase in drug traffic, and the lawlessness 
     that has resulted from illegal drug trafficking, and that a 
     one-year waiver of the requirement that the President certify 
     Mexico is warranted to permit both new governments time to do 
     so.

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, before entering the closing statement, I 
yield to the distinguished Democratic assistant leader.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I was off the floor. I appreciate very much 
the patience of my friend, the Senator from Virginia. I know he wanted 
to vacate the premises more than an hour ago. I am confident early in 
the morning we will be able to enter into an agreement relating to his 
bill.
  Mr. WARNER. That would be the DOD conference on authorization.
  Mr. REID. We are getting close to that. I apologize for not being 
able to do that tonight.
  Mr. WARNER. No apology is needed. This bill has had a unique course 
through the Senate. I know of no one who has tried harder on a 
procedural basis to see that this bill has forward momentum than our 
distinguished colleague from Nevada. I hereby express my profound 
respect and thanks to him.
  Mr. REID. I already bragged earlier in the day about my colleague and 
Senator Levin, and I would like that spread across the Record again.
  Mr. President, Senator McCain is on his way. We have a unanimous 
consent agreement that he asked for earlier in the day. We are now able 
to clear it.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, given that, I suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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