Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Protecting Americans From Cartels
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearingentitled “The Thin Blue Line Protecting America from the Cartels.” During his opening remarks, Durbin highlighted the direct link between cartel reliance on U.S.-sourced firearms to perpetuate fear, violence, and illegal activities, including human trafficking and smuggling drugs into the United States. Durbin also called on Congress to pass commonsense gun regulations to keep U.S. weapons out of cartel hands—including his Stop Arming Cartels Act.
Key Quotes:
“There is no excuse for violence in political expression in America. There is no excuse for violence against men and women in law enforcement who are doing their job and risking their lives in the process. There is no excuse for that violence in Mexico, the border states, or at the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, when we saw the rioters come storming into the building and assaulting our men and women who risk their lives for us every day.”
“The new president, Donald Trump, on his first day in office… decided to give a full and unconditional pardon to the individuals who beat up the law enforcement officials trying to defend us that day [January 6, 2021]. That was an outrage and still is. Some of these people back on the street have committed crimes again against law enforcement. That never should have happened, and that pardon should not have been given. The President did that as one of his first acts of office.”
“Cartel violence and drug trafficking have hit border states hard, but these criminal organizations impact all of us across the United States. Through sophisticated nationwide networks, bad actors are profiting from harming Americans and our neighbors across the southern border. We must acknowledge the role the United States has played in arming these cartels to the teeth—sending hundreds of thousands of American-made firearms south in an ‘iron river’—and empowering their use of violence to traffic fentanyl into the U.S.”
“In light of the cartel threat, President Trump’s recent order diverting federal law enforcement agents away from combatting drug and firearms trafficking and towards mass deportation efforts is particularly dangerous… This will only make it easier for cartel violence and drug and human trafficking to continue. Guns smuggled from the U.S. arm the cartels, destabilize civil society, and increase violence throughout the region. This bolsters the cartels’ ability to funnel drugs into the United States, fueling our devastating narcotics crisis. Mexican cartels are responsible for a significant portion of the cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine smuggled into the U.S.”
“When I was Chair of this Committee, Congress passed the historic Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which created federal straw purchasing and trafficking criminal offenses, allowing prosecutors to target dangerous, illegal gunrunners who have for decades escaped prosecution. While this is a major step in the right direction, we must continue to build on this law to reduce gun trafficking at the border. That is why I introduced the Stop Arming Cartels Act. This legislation would end easy access to the high-powered rifles the cartels use to create chaos in Mexico and allow victims of gun violence to sue gun dealers who knowingly transact with drug kingpins.”
“It’s time to end the cycle of violence that has cost so many lives. And let’s be clear here: we will not defeat the cartels by mass deportation of immigrants with deep roots in our communities who pose no threat to public safety… In order to truly weaken the cartels and cut off their ability to operate, we must stop the flow of the iron river of guns for good and allow federal law enforcement to do their jobs instead of diverting them towards fulfilling a campaign promise.”
Video of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s opening statement is available here for TV Stations.
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