Posted on 06/06/2008 8:06:11 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
Security chief stresses that funds would fight drugs in speech at Rice
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on Thursday accused congressional critics of imperiling a "historic opportunity" by tinkering with a proposal to provide $500 million in aid to help Mexico combat heavily armed narco-traffickers menacing the U.S.-Mexico border.
Chertoff indirectly addressed criticism raised by lawmakers — including Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas; Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble; and Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin — during a wide-ranging, 48-minute address at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University.
Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate have balked at the White House's so-called Merida Initiative to funnel at least $1.1 billion to Mexico and Central American nations over the next two years. The initiative, as proposed by the Bush administration, would start with a $550 million package of military assistance and training this year, mainly for Mexico.
Lawmakers have revised the administration's blueprint to impose restrictions on Mexico's use of the assistance and human rights safeguards, as well as an attempt to divert some of the spending to law enforcement on the U.S. side of the border.
Senior officials in Mexico have said the country would not accept aid if it includes human rights restrictions. Interior Secretary Juan Camilo Mourino, the second-most powerful official in the Calderon administration, said the conditions "are unacceptable for our country."
Chertoff said the congressional action threatened to undercut "heroic" efforts by Mexican President Felipe Calderon in response to a wave of killings along Mexico's northern border. More than 450 Mexican police officers have been killed since Calderon began a crackdown on the country's drug gangs in late 2006.
'Unilateral conditions'
"Rather than treat a key ally as a friend, Congress has used the Merida Initiative to impose a set of unilateral conditions on Mexico that their nation has found so insulting and unacceptable that it has rejected the proposal," Chertoff said.
"By acting unilaterally and not working in a spirit of bilateral cooperation to address a mutual problem, we now risk losing (Mexico's) support," he said. "If we do not seize this historic moment, we could very well lose this opportunity for a generation."
Matt Mackowiak, a spokesman for Hutchison, said that the senior senator from Texas backed the Senate's proposal to spend $450 million on the Merida Initiative only after persuading her colleagues to add $100 million to federal support for U.S. law enforcement.
"Senator Hutchison wanted to ensure that significant funding would be delivered to U.S. border law enforcement if Congress was going to pass the Merida Initiative," he said.
The Senate and House have approved different versions of spending legislation that would devote $450 million to Mexico and Central America — $100 million less than requested by President Bush. The House is expected to act next week to start resolving the differences.
Houston activities
Chertoff offered his rebuttal to lawmakers' criticism at the outset of a visit to Houston that included a roundtable with Muslim leaders, remarks to the South Asian Chamber of Commerce and dinner with former Commerce Secretary Robert Mosbacher and local law enforcement officials.
Chertoff planned to pitch hurricane preparations with Houston Mayor Bill White and highlight steps at George Bush Intercontinental Airport to welcome foreign visitors today, before returning to Washington.
Chertoff described the Merida Initiative as a cornerstone of the Bush administration's efforts to apply "soft power" around the world to "win the hearts and minds" of foreigners, including critics of the U. S. He called for increased cultural exchanges, congressional approval of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement and partnerships with other nations to "solve mutual problems through coordinated action rather than working unilaterally."
"Providing practical help to others, besides being the right thing to do, has the potential for improving our standing as well," Chertoff said.
stewart.powell@chron.com
Mexico is a third world nation and has all the accompanying problems in spades. The U.S. can NOT provide enough aid to change this. It's not a question of economics, it's a failed culture.
Wall it off. Anything they may have that could prove to be desirable to us can be facilitated through trade.
Ping!
If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.
If Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble is against it, it is a bad idea. Ted Poe is great congressman.
Chertoff is an idiot.
Mexico is a rich country with an oligarchy that plunders the country for their own benefit and keeps the resources from the masses. We are, in effect, replacing the funds that should be spent by Mexico on itself with our own deficit spending.
so you want to give it to Mexican politicians, some of whom are in the drug business....idiot.
Having met Mr. Chertoff during the Clinton stuff, I had thought him a stand-up guy and was pleased when Pres. Bush nominated him to serve as Secretary.
Now, with a few years looking back on his service and knowing that he is doing the bidding of the Bush Administration, I am appalled with what comes out of this man's mouth, always regarding anything Mexico, and many, many other times.
He and they (the Bush Admin.) are way, way to light in assuming that the illegals here (including violent felons, sexual predators and utilizing stolen I.D.s) to stay, so let's just get them legal and an effective fence system is just "too intrusive" on our very good friends, the Mexican government.
Funny how you and everyone else on FR gets it but the bozos in Washington are CLUELESS!!
Note to you idiots in the capitol: WE ARE BROKE! WE HAVE 1 TRILLION IN DEBT. WE HAVE 99 TRILLION IN UNFUNDED ENTITELMENTS !! WE DO NOT HAVE EXTRA MONEY TO GIVE AWAY!!
PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR AND STEP AWAY FROM THE APPROPRIATIONS DESK.
“”Providing practical help to others, besides being the right thing to do, has the potential for improving our standing as well,” Chertoff said.”
What? Our standing with Mexico?? They hate us and send all their peasants while they hold out their hand for more and then.....they do this......
Mexico says US defying world court order, asks court to stop execution of Mexicans
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2027087/posts
Stop all of the border problems on OUR side by stopping ALL aid too mexico until they get control . Take that money and build walls, fences and gates with exits only . Any entry too the US should be by aircraft or ship at ports of entry. NAFTA superhighways and rail shipping can just go away as the threat too national security is greater than the benefit of trade IMO.
We have too stop trying too save the world as we lose the United States !
Chertoff - I’ve just about had it with this incompetent retarded monkey and DHS in general.
BUMP what you said.
Why would we flush over a half-billion US tax dollars down a corrupt toilet?
I wonder, after the elites in Mexico take their “share,” and you know that’s gonna happen, how much will be left?
I suspect less than 20% of this aid will actually be spent for the original purpose.
Chertoff reminds me of the Bernie cadaver in “Weekend at Bernie’s.”
yep.
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