Arlen Specter: “contrary to the arguments of the Senator from Oklahoma, the National Drug Intelligence Center has been functioning since…”

“contrary to the arguments of the Senator from Oklahoma, the National Drug Intelligence Center has been functioning since 1993 and has never been challenged on this floor in any respect. It has not been challenged until today because it has performed so well. Yesterday I had printed in the Record the extensive compliments which have been paid by the FBI in an expansive letter on November 21, 2001, by DEA, the Drug Enforcement Agency; on June 21, 2006, by FBI field offices around the country, including Tampa, Detroit, and Charlotte, by U.S. attorneys around the country. It has performed with very strategic results. It is important to decentralize operations such as the National Drug Intelligence Center. Everything does not have to be in Washington. It costs about a third to do it in Johnstown as it would in Washington. When the Senator from Oklahoma says it ought to be in El Paso because all the drugs come from El Paso, that is simply not true. Drugs come into this country from Miami, from New York, from Detroit, from California. They come from everywhere. It has been in existence for 14 years and is functioning successfully. It is not a minor matter that it has 340 jobs. Johnstown has become accustomed to having this. Johnstown, as is well known historically, has had its tough time with two major floods. It doesn't deserve another flood by having this body saying the office ought to be removed at this time.”