Bob Menendez: “I want to say I have a great deal of respect for the gentlewoman and particularly for her concerns about the corrupt…”

“I want to say I have a great deal of respect for the gentlewoman and particularly for her concerns about the corrupt activities that take place in Mexico and in Colombia, particularly with reference to the narcotics trade. And I think it is a legitimate concern. We have concerns about human rights' abuses, but most particularly by the military aspects of those countries, and it is a legitimate concern. But I must respectfully and strongly oppose her amendment. The fact of the matter is that I would suspect that we would have all of the end use monitoring that we have had under what is known as the Leahy amendment, and that we would continue to have that. The fact of the matter is that it is in the national interest of the United States and the national security interest of the United States to assist these countries because, ultimately, assisting these legitimate efforts helps us in the interdiction and eradication of those drugs that would transverse our borders into our country, into our communities and, ultimately, to our children and those who are the most susceptible.”