Darlene Hooley: “members of the Committee, communities across this country are facing an increasing problem with methamphetamine, a drug…”

“members of the Committee, communities across this country are facing an increasing problem with methamphetamine, a drug that is cheap, easy to make, and gives addicts an intense longlasting high, but one that destroys their brains, causes them to abuse and neglect their children, and can lead to paranoid acts of violence. And while we have taken action to cut off pseudoephedrine sales to the mom and pop meth labs, the vast majority of meth consumed in this country is made in Mexico and smuggled into the U.S. by Mexican drug cartels. My amendment would help address this issue by designating $10 million in the international narcotics control and law enforcement for counter-methamphetamine efforts in Mexico. International narcotics control and law enforcement is funded in this bill at $703 million, a $231 million increase over last year's funding. While the overall account is adequately funded within this program, the committee report designates only $40 million for Mexico, with the money being spread among a number of narcotic control and law enforcement efforts, including strengthening the northern border infrastructure and fighting drug and weapons smuggling. The amendment simply increases funding for international narcotics control and law enforcement by $10 million and immediately reduces it again.…”