Beauprez Amendment Undermines Border Security, Drug Eradication Efforts

July 1, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC- On June 28, an amendment was offered to the fiscal year 2006 Foreign Operations Appropriations bill to deny assistance to countries that do not extradite to the U.S. any individual accused in the U.S. of killing a law enforcement officer. I strongly support extraditing criminals from other countries to face trial for capital crimes committed in the U.S. I voted against the amendment because it has serious repercussions for our national security. If this funding is eliminated, we will be cutting off:

• $40 million in funding to enhance security at ports of entry - a key goal in preventing the use of Mexican territory by terrorists seeing to harm the U.S.;

• Funding to International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, which seeks to eradicate drug cartels and reduce the illegal entry of Mexican drugs into the U.S.; and

• Economic Support Funds (ESF) and Development Assistance (DA) funds, which promote democracy and improved economic competitiveness by strengthening the rule of law and supporting greater transparency and accountability in government.

This Administration must solve the extradition problem with Mexico without taking any actions that compromise our national security. My record on the issue of extradition is clear. I co-authored a resolution unanimously passed by the House of Representatives that the Administration urge Mexico to address extradition and capital crimes. I also sent letters to President Bush and Secretary Rice urging them to seek Mexico's cooperation in the extradition and prosecution of cases involving Mexican nationals who have committed capital crimes in the U.S.

Killing a law enforcement officer and fleeing the country must be a federal crime. That is why I authored H.R. 2363, the Peace Officer Justice Act of 2005, with the help of Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, to make it a federal crime to murder a law enforcement officer and flee the country. Under federal law, it is a crime to kill a federal peace officer or state/local officers if they are engaged in a federal investigation. It is also a federal crime to flee to another country to avoid prosecution. However, such a crime is punishable by no more than five years in prison or even merely a fine. I believe a fine or five years imprisonment for the cold-blooded murder of a law enforcement officer is tantamount to no justice at all.