John McCain

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

It is one of the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission--in fact, one of the few recommendations that have not been implemented and it is disgraceful.

President Calderon is the first president that has had the courage to do something about it.

Has that concerned you?

It seems to me your major concern here is the penetration of drugs into the young people of your Tohono O'odham Nation.

With the tremendous difficulties as associated with the economy, you have more foreclosures.

Smuggling is when somebody pays a fee and goes to a destination of their choice, trafficking is when somebody comes across the border as a virtual slave.

I have had the great pleasure of visiting you on numerous occasions. The Tohono O'odham Tribe has been on the frontline and they have cooperated with State, local, and Federal officials. I thank you for that, Mr. Norris. And I know you…

Is drug addiction up amongst Tribal members?

I agree with you that we have to secure the borders first, and that would address a significant portion of the issue.

The boarded up homes are a significant issue as it relates to street crime, gang members, drug dealing.

It sounds like a bit, Senator, but it is a drop in the bucket.

Anything that the United States can do to assist the government of Mexico, which is now very strongly committed to helping us, will be a benefit not only to them, but to us, as well, and we need to be very open-minded about the kind of…

We need to sit down and game this situation and try to think outside of the box.

Whenever, obviously, we have gone after crime, we follow the money.

How do they get that money back to the suppliers of the drugs and the transporters?

In the now kidnapping capital of America, the same people that are smuggling illegal immigrants are the same people that are smuggling the drugs, the same people that are having the illegal immigrants call up their relatives and pay ransom.

If he fails, it is going to have incredible consequences for the country of Mexico, and it is going to have substantial consequences for us here.

We must do more, and the people at today's hearing know that fact far better than I can attest.

It seems to me that our goal should be to squeeze the cartels from both sides of the border.

With broad bipartisan support, this Committee's Ranking Member, Susan Collins, Senators McCain and Kyl, and I passed an amendment to the Senate budget resolution just a few weeks ago for Fiscal Year 2010 budget, which would add $550…

I am proud to have Senator McCain as a Member of this Committee and also proud to have Senator Kyl joining us today as a special Member of the Committee.

Many Americans believe that the escalating violence in Mexico is remote. It is not.

What we do at the Federal level is critically important, but it will not have the impact we need it to have if we do not work in concert with you, our partners in this war against the Mexican drug cartels.

If we are in a struggle that poses an existential threat to the country of Mexico, then I think we ought to look at the technological aspects of warfare to increase our ability to surveill and interdict.