Tancredo Attempts to Block Foreign Aid to Mexico and Central America

Tancredo Attempts to Block Foreign Aid to Mexico and Central America

Amendment to “Merida Initiative” Would Have Blocked Funds Until
Corruption in Mexico Brought Under Control

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Littleton) today put forth an amendment in the House Foreign Affairs Committee attempting to block foreign aid under the Merida Initiative to Mexico. The amendment would block all funding until the President of the United States has certified that the Mexican government has met a list of requirements.

The maintenance of elementary law and order in the face of organized violence against law enforcement and legal institutions, infiltration of the armed services and local police by the drug cartels, and endemic corruption at all levels of government – these are the primary threats to Mexico’s people and democratic institutions today,” said Tancredo.

Among other things, the amendment would have required a determination that the armed forces and / or law enforcement agencies of Mexico (or any other recipient nation seeking aid) are not involved or complicit in the trafficking of drugs, weapons or people.

The original leaders of the notorious “Zetas,” the violent enforcers of the Gulf Cartel who have brought murder and mayhem to the Rio Grande Valley, were former Mexican military personnel with special forces training who deserted the army.

“We know that some of these ‘guns for hire’ had U.S. military training. We must insist that our dollars never again train soldiers who then take that training and expertise and use it to serve organized crime,” said Tancredo. “Mexico must be required to clean up its act before we send truckloads of our tax dollars south – or we run the risk of American aid being siphoned off by the very drug cartels we are trying to defeat.”

The amendment would also require the President to certify that the U.S.-Mexico border is secure before aid could be provided to Mexico.

“The cartels only exist to smuggle drugs and people across our southwest border. If that border is made secure against all such smuggling, the cartels will be deprived of most of their profits – profits that feed corruption,” said Tancredo.

Tancredo’s amendment would also require, as a condition of receiving any U.S. aid, that a foreign government cooperate with all U.S. extradition requests and U.S. efforts to deport or repatriate nationals of that foreign country. The foreign government must also not assist or encourage its nationals to illegally immigrate to the U.S.

The amendment would also require a congressional vote on the President’s certifications before aid could flow.

“Congress should not provide this administration with a blank check once the State Department makes a handful of claims to this committee that may or may not be supported by evidence,” said Tancredo. “If the administration wants this money, they should have to convince Congress to give it to them.”

“We have to insist that governments like the one in Mexico tackle their internal corruption and get their houses in order before we start handing out tax dollars,” concluded Tancredo. “Without these safeguards, money sent to Mexico is as likely to end up in the pockets of the drug cartels as it is the reformers.”

The amendment failed 23 votes to 10. Those opposing the amendment were Howard Berman (D-CA), Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Eni Faleomavaega (D-AS), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Robert Wexler (D-FL), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Diane Watson (D-CA), Adam Smith (D-WA), Russ Carnahan (D-MO), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX), David Wu (D-OR), Brad Miller (D-NC), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Ron Klein (D-FL), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Luis Fortuno (R-PR). Those in favor were Tom Tancredo (R-CO), Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), Dan Burton (R-IN), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Ed Royce (R-CA), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Gresham Barrett (R-SC), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Ted Poe (R-TX) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL).

We need to give these people what for!!!!! I will find the addresses for each and post!!!! I have written Lou Dobbs, Glenn Beck everyone I could think of saying the sane thing as Tancredo!

The amendment failed 23 votes to 10. Those opposing the amendment were   

  Howard Berman (D-CA), Phone: (202) 225-4695 Fax: (202) 225-3196       

Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Phone: (202) 225-2601 Fax: (202) 225-1589 

       Eni Faleomavaega (D-AS), Phone: (202) 225-8577 Fax: (202) 225-8757
 Donald Payne (D-NJ), Phone: (202) 225-3436 Fax: (202) 225-4160
 Brad Sherman (D-CA), Phone: (202) 225-5911 Fax: (202) 225-5879 

      Robert Wexler (D-FL), Phone: (202) 225-3001 Fax: (202) 225-5974  

     Eliot Engel (D-NY), Phone: (202) 225-2464 Fax: (202) 225-5513
Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Phone: (202) 225-3461 Fax: (202) 226-4169

     Diane Watson (D-CA), Phone: (202) 225-7084 Fax: (202) 225-2422
Adam Smith (D-WA), Phone: (202) 225-8901  Fax: (202) 225-5893  

     Russ Carnahan (D-MO), Phone: (202) 225-2671  Fax: (202) 225-7452  

      Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), Phone: (202) 225-5161  Fax: (202) 225-5163  

  Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Phone: (202) 225-3816  Fax: (202) 225-3317      Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX), Phone: (202) 225-2531 Fax: (202) 225-5688  Ø       David Wu (D-OR), Phone: (202) 225-0855  Fax: (202) 225-9497  

     Brad Miller (D-NC), Phone: (202) 225-3032 Fax: (202) 225-0181  

     Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Phone: (202) 225-6676 Fax: (202) 226-1012  

    \Albio Sires (D-NJ), Phone: (202) 225-7919 Fax: (202) 226-0792 

    Ron Klein (D-FL), Phone: (202) 225-3026 Fax: (202) 225-8398  

      Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Phone: (202) 225-3965 Fax: (202) 225-1909      Barbara Lee (D-CA), Phone: (202) 225-2661 Fax: (202) 225-9817 

      Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) Phone: (202) 225-3931 Fax: (202) 225-5620 

   Luis Fortuno (R-PR). Phone: (202) 225-2615 Fax: (202) 225-2154 

Those in favor were       Tom Tancredo (R-CO), Phone: (202) 225-7882 Fax: (202) 226-4623    

  Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), Phone: (202) 225-2542 Fax: (202) 225-0378      Dan Burton (R-IN), Phone: (202) 225-2276 Fax: (202) 225-0016      

 Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Phone: (202) 225-2415 Fax: (202) 225-0145      Ed Royce (R-CA), Phone: (202) 225-4111 Fax: (202) 226-0335  

    Joe Wilson (R-SC), Phone: (202) 225-2452 Fax: (202) 225-2455      Gresham Barrett (R-SC), Phone: (202) 225-5301 Fax: (202) 225-3216      Michael McCaul (R-TX), Phone: (202) 225-2401 Fax: (202) 225-5955     

 Ted Poe (R-TX) Phone: (202) 225-6565 Fax: (202) 225-5547 

     Gus Bilirakis (R-FL). Phone: (202) 225-5755 Fax: (202) 225-4085

Dammitt Man!!!!! Truely sad. Gus did the right thing. He's my House Rep. here in my area.

At least The Tanc is Tancin On!!!! Keep on Tancin. I'll never give up on Tom Tancredo.

Me to Lady Jane, altho my keyboard is getting worn out writing to those who don't care to listen in anyway or are paid off by pro illegal lobbyists.

Isn't Tancredo one of the anti amnesty house repubs who is quitting at the end of this term???  There are quite a few quitting, and I hope they will be replaced by people who believe as they do otherwise, the pendulum has swung against us...

(CM) Deerhunter said:

Dammitt Man!!!!! Truely sad. Gus did the right thing. He's my House Rep. here in my area.

At least The Tanc is Tancin On!!!! Keep on Tancin. I'll never give up on Tom Tancredo.

Nor will I.  I sit here and cry reading about his dogmatic efforts and how they fail.  And I remember reading years ago about Babe Ruth having the Home Run Record for so many years, and he also had the most strike outs.  Gives us hope.

VeeBee said:

Me to Lady Jane, altho my keyboard is getting worn out writing to those who don't care to listen in anyway or are paid off by pro illegal lobbyists.

Isn't Tancredo one of the anti amnesty house repubs who is quitting at the end of this term???  There are quite a few quitting, and I hope they will be replaced by people who believe as they do otherwise, the pendulum has swung against us...

Yes, Tom did announce that he will not seek another term representing Colorado's 6th district.  He never intended to be a career politician.  When he was elected in 1998 he said he would only serve 3 terms.  Then 9/11 happened.  When he was campaigning for that third term he told the voters in his district that he may not honor that pledge.  They elected him to that 3rd term, then a 4th and a 5th.

32 Republican Representatives have announced they will not seek another term this year.

http://www.rollcall.com/politics/casualtylist.html

Lady Jane said: I'm going to write to these people... (for the most part Democrat)  It's time to find all of the people that are against illegal immigration and prop them up for people to look at!  It's also time to dump all of the pro illegal immigration Congressmen/women Representatives  that are messing up this country!  I would love to see Pelosi lose her job in November!

YGG!

Alipac alert has an encouraging story today.

 http://www.alipac.us/article-3188-thread-1-0.html

I think we could make a strong case for dumping all foreign aid so as not to appear as a form discrimination against Mexico.   Seems reasonable a nation in debt as much as this one, that foreign aid should be the first budget item cut out immediately.

TG

Rep. Giffords (D-Az) was for this? Wow, frikin unbelievable........

I had my heart set on making sure she finds another line of business come November...

Now what am I to do???

Rayj00 said:

 

Rep. Giffords (D-Az) was for this? Wow, frikin unbelievable........

I had my heart set on making sure she finds another line of business come November...

Now what am I to do???

File to run against her.   

Rep Mcall from Texas is also trying to get those funds spent at our borders.

I am getting Really tired of washingon who seems to Love Mexico and continually
Shitting on Americans

msbobbie said:

Rayj00 said:

 

Rep. Giffords (D-Az) was for this? Wow, frikin unbelievable........

I had my heart set on making sure she finds another line of business come November...

Now what am I to do???

 

File to run against her.   

 

There is already a decent Repub running against her. I don't know whether I should  thank her or scold her for attempting to appear on our side with elections coming up.....

If anything is going to get done, we are the ones who are going to have to do it. To avoid a lot of copy and paste, let me refer you to my blog - no popups, no advertisements and only an email address (and user name) needed to register (to be able to post comments)...

Rickey's Place, everyone welcome.

It is my opinion that the Republican Party, and therefore our current two-party system, is toast. They thumb their noses at Conservatives and Constitutionalists, then call us racists, bigots, and xenophobes for demanding enforcement of our laws. Anarchy is the result and we see it when thousands of illegal aliens demonstrate in our cities demanding the rights of citizenship without following our laws. We need many changes, and we need them now before things get out of hand. By that I mean that there will be a backlash if things continue as they are going, and it will be serious.

Do you see any irony in the fact that the politicians promising more to the lower and lower middle class (to get votes) are the same ones hell bent on destroying our  Republic?

Republicans have abandoned the Conservatives by reaching toward the middle and that is going to pull all of us into a pit of self destruction.  The left continues to offer more and more, knowing the right will follow instead of firmly pulling back and respecting the base.

There are too few like Tom Tancredo, sounding the alarm, and too little coverage of their messages.