INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 1999 (House of Representatives - May 07, 1998)

The CHAIRMAN. Are there further amendments to title III?

AMENDMENT NO. 3 OFFERED BY MR. TRAFICANT

Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

The CHAIRMAN. The Clerk will designate the amendment.

The text of the amendment is as follows:

Amendment No. 3 offered by Mr. Traficant:

In title III of the bill, add at the end the following new section:

SEC. 305. ANNUAL REPORT ON INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY COOPERATION WITH DOMESTIC FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.

Not later than 90 days after the end of each fiscal year ending after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of Central Intelligence shall submit a report to the Congress that describes the level of cooperation and assistance provided to domestic Federal law enforcement agencies by the intelligence community during such fiscal year relating to the effort to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the United States through the United States-Mexico border and the United States-Canada border.

Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Chairman, the threat of nuclear proliferation is real and it must be curtailed. But while we keep worrying about missiles from without, narcotics are destroying America from within. I believe that we are losing the war on drugs and it is not because of the money that we are not spending. It is not because of the effort that Congress makes. I believe there is one simple major reason for it. There is not a concentrated, cooperative network effort by our entire intelligence and law enforcement community.

Mr. Chairman, that is the weakness. I do not know if we can solve that in this legislation. I guess I have turned around and voted for this measure and voted against the cut, which is the first time since I have been here. I do have faith in the leaders of this committee and I did say earlier that we deserve in the Congress the chance to see how we can pool efforts to network because I believe our intelligence community should know where these narcotics are grown, who is growing them, who is processing them, who is arranging for their export to America, who here in America is arranging to accept and receive these imports, who is distributing them and what political figures around the world are aiding and abetting the narcotraffickers. I think we must do something about it.

So, Mr. Chairman, my modest effort is very simple. I want to read the salient points of this amendment.

It would require the CIA and the Director of the CIA, through a report to the Congress, to describe the level of cooperation and assistance provided to domestic Federal law enforcement by our intelligence community. These agencies cannot be separate and apart. This jurisdictional haggling must be resolved. And our intelligence network, if we are going to do anything on 100 percent import of heroin and cocaine, is going to have to work with our domestic people.

Mr. Chairman, I ask for a report at this point. I think it makes good sense, and I would hope that it would be adopted.

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Mr. GOSS. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. TRAFICANT. I yield to the gentleman from Florida.

Mr. GOSS. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant) for yielding to me. Let me assure the gentleman that I take very seriously the necessity of intelligence support for fighting and winning the war on drugs.

There is no question that global narcotics trafficking does require intelligence and it requires a close and good working handoff to law enforcement. I am aware of that. Progress has been made. I think that the gentleman's contribution to this, requiring this report, is very beneficial and I am prepared to accept his amendment.

Mr. DICKS. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. TRAFICANT. I yield to the gentleman from Washington.

Mr. DICKS. Mr. Chairman, I compliment my friend, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant) again for another amendment that I find completely acceptable. This cooperation must exist and we must do better in this effort. I concur with my chairman that this is a national priority and one that will be aided by this report. I urge that the Committee accept the amendment.

Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I urge an `aye' vote.

The CHAIRMAN. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant).

The amendment was agreed to.