She's wrong.
How many Trump regulations or de-regulations has he lost in court? A second court has struck down the citizenship question he ordered on the US Census, too.
March 6, 2019
A U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia (click here) vacated the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) stay of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) revised EEO-1 form and the September 15, 2017, Federal Register Notice implementing the stay (Staying the Effectiveness of the EEO-1 Pay Data Collection, 82 Fed. Reg. 43362). Nat’l Women’s Law Ctr. et al. v. OMB et al., No. 17-2458 (D.D.C. Mar. 4, 2019). The court immediately restored the prior directives of the EEOC and OMB requiring use of a revised EEO-1 form where employers with at least 100 employees have to report detailed information on their employees’ wages and hours, broken down by gender, race, and ethnicity.
The decision arises in a case brought by the National Women’s Law Center and other plaintiffs against OMB and the EEOC in which the plaintiffs challenged OMB’s decision to stay the EEOC’s pay data collection efforts. The expanded pay data collection was initially approved by OMB under the Obama Administration in September 2016. The Trump Administration stayed the pay data collection in August 2017, after concluding the pay reporting requirements would be too burdensome. The plaintiffs argued the pay data collection efforts are central to closing the race and gender wage gaps....
August 30, 2017
By Claire Zillman
The Trump White House (click here for video - thank you) on Tuesday stopped a planned Obama-era rule that would have required companies to submit data on worker pay by race, ethnicity, and gender, after deeming the regulation too burdensome to business.
The rule, introduced by President Barack Obama’s administration in January 2016, would have forced all employers with at least 100 workers to disclose summary data on wages in an effort to enforce equal pay laws and expose discriminatory pay practices. It would have covered some 63 million workers.
Due to the rule’s broad scope, Neomi Rao, administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, said it will not meet its stated goal.
“It’s enormously burdensome,” she told the Wall Street Journal. “We don’t believe it would actually help us gather information about wage and employment discrimination.”
President Donald Trump’s daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump, who’s cast herself as an advocate of women’s empowerment, issued a statement supporting the White House’s conclusion that the data collected would be too voluminous to provide insight into pay practices.
“Ultimately, while I believe the intention was good and agree that pay transparency is important, the proposed policy would not yield the intended results,” she said. “We look forward to continuing to work with EEOC, OMB, Congress and all relevant stakeholders on robust policies aimed at eliminating the gender wage gap.”...
Wednesday, March 06, 2019
Why aren't women valued for the soldier they are to this country?
Senator McSally was a pilot for the USA Air Force for 20 years. Yet, she is still not given the respect for her importance to this country or the ranks she held. It is outrageous.
She flew 300 combat hours for this country. She is a soldier. Where is the respect?
March 6, 2019
By Colleen Long
Washington -- Sen. Martha McSally, (click here) the first female Air Force fighter pilot to fly in combat, said Wednesday that she was sexually assaulted by a superior officer, and later, when she tried to talk about it to military officials, she "felt like the system was raping me all over again."
The Arizona Republican, a 26-year military veteran, made the disclosure at a Senate hearing on the military's efforts to prevent sexual assaults and improve the response when they occur. Lawmakers also heard from other service members who spoke of being sexually assaulted and humiliated while serving their country.
McSally said she did not report being raped because she did not trust the system, and she said she was ashamed and confused. She said she was impressed and grateful to the survivors who came forward to help change the system. She was in the ninth class at the Air Force Academy to allow women, and said sexual harassment and assault were prevalent. Victims mostly suffered in silence, she said....
She flew 300 combat hours for this country. She is a soldier. Where is the respect?
March 6, 2019
By Colleen Long
Washington -- Sen. Martha McSally, (click here) the first female Air Force fighter pilot to fly in combat, said Wednesday that she was sexually assaulted by a superior officer, and later, when she tried to talk about it to military officials, she "felt like the system was raping me all over again."
The Arizona Republican, a 26-year military veteran, made the disclosure at a Senate hearing on the military's efforts to prevent sexual assaults and improve the response when they occur. Lawmakers also heard from other service members who spoke of being sexually assaulted and humiliated while serving their country.
McSally said she did not report being raped because she did not trust the system, and she said she was ashamed and confused. She said she was impressed and grateful to the survivors who came forward to help change the system. She was in the ninth class at the Air Force Academy to allow women, and said sexual harassment and assault were prevalent. Victims mostly suffered in silence, she said....
Justin Trudeau is correct and has legislation to back him up. Now, if the legislation is unconstitutional then that is news, but, PM Trudeau has not broken the law or exerted corrupt principles. There is legislation that was passed to protect the jobs and allow the company to be fined.
SNC-Lavalin is an international company employing 50,000 people. They are based in Quebec.
February 8, 2019
A man walks past the headquarters of SNC Lavalin in Montreal on November 6, 2014. For more than a century, SNC-Lavalin has been viewed with pride in Quebec as it grew from a small firm specializing in hydraulics into a global engineering and construction giant.Founded in 1911, it gained a reputation for building a large dam in Quebec that spearheaded the province's development of hydroelectricity and developing the skillsets for thousands of Quebec workers.
The new provincial government appears ready to assist SNC-Lavalin from any takeover attempt by reportedly putting it on a list of 10 “strategically important” companies.
Toronto — For more than a century, (click here) SNC-Lavalin has been viewed with pride in Quebec as it grew from a small firm specializing in hydraulics into a global engineering and construction giant.
Founded in 1911, it gained a reputation for building a large dam in Quebec that spearheaded the province’s development of hydroelectricity and developing the skill sets for thousands of Quebec workers.
Today the company has 50,000 employees around the world, after adding 18,000 with the acquisition of WS Atkins in 2017. However, its head count in Canada has fallen to 9,000 — including 3,400 in Quebec — from 20,000 in 2013.
For that, the Montreal-based company is seen as a provincial crown jewel that needs to be protected despite having its reputation tarnished in 2012 over bribery allegations that led to convictions of several senior executives, says an industry observer.
The province is acutely sensitive about losing another corporate headquarters — and associated jobs in law, accounting and consulting — following the exodus of many in the 1970s and later the sale of aluminum producer Alcan to Rio Tinto and Rona to U.S. rival Lowe’s, said Karl Moore, a professor at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management.
“There’s a sense that we don’t want to lose any more corporate headquarters,” he said in an interview.
The new provincial government appears ready to assist SNC-Lavalin from any takeover attempt by reportedly putting it on a list of 10 “strategically important” companies....
...And so, the reported political pressure from the Prime Minister’s Office on former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould — denied by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — to help SNC-Lavalin avoid a criminal prosecution is viewed differently in Quebec, said Moore....
I am not quite sure why the cabinet is leaving, but, I do know that PM Trudeau pledged to have a better relationship with the native people. AG Jody Wilson-Raybould is a native person, so in putting her in the AG office was a major coup for all native people.
She was looking at this company to prosecute those involved with a bribery scandal some time ago in Libya when Gadhafi was still in power. She probably is correct in looking to corruption carried out internationally, however, the legislature did not believe it should be the destruction of the company.
I am going to precede this article by saying the world knows the habits of Gadaffi and his family, especially when it comes to women and the "forever party" they believed they were entitled to. In that lies a guarantee for corruption.
AG Jody Wilson-Raybould found the Canadian involvement with these elements objectionable and rightfully so, but, the legislature took a pragmatic view rather than an idealistic one. PM Trudeau is caught between an AG Native Canadian attempting to live up to the dignity of women and corruption standards she rightfully adheres to and a legislature protecting the jobs of Canadians. To hold PM Trudeau responsible for legislation that was to protect Canadians and their futures is more political than rational. This is not his war.
I wish AG Jody Wilson-Raybould had set her initiative on the shelf while continuing to build a case for the antics of the Gadaffi family and the brevity of their role in this unfortunate case of SNC Lavalin. She can still produce a good effect if she will continue her investigation and at this point publish a book about the wayward enterprises engaged with Gadhaffi. It is import for the world to understand the ruthlessness of that regime and ways to prevent such problems in the future. AG Jody Wilson-Raybould still has a remarkable opportunity before her even as a private citizen.
March 3, 2019
By Scott Taylor
...As a result of the increased scrutiny, (click here) we are now aware of many of the more sordid details of the alleged bribery at the centre of this burgeoning scandal. According to media reports, back in 2008, Saadi Gadhafi, the third son of the late Libyan president, came to Canada as a guest of SNC-Lavalin. The Quebec based engineering corporation was seeking to curry favour with Gadhafi the younger in order to land lucrative construction contracts in Libya worth millions of dollars.
Hired to protect Saadi during his stay was GardaWorld, but the services actually provided went far beyond close-in protection. It is alleged that Garda submitted bills to SNC-Lavalin totaling about $30,000 for debauchery ranging from high-class escorts to tickets for a Spice Girls concert....
Prime Minister Trudeau needs to reflect on the values he brought to the Canadian people, the exercising of his promises and ultimately the reason the AG left in the face of obvious wrong doing of SNC-Lavalin.
He needs to strike a consiliatory tone with the Canadian people and reiterate to carry out his promises to the native people and women. I do believe he is sincere in those views and for his Prime Ministership to be trashed for others less sincere is a poor decision by the Canadian people.
He needs to continue to listen to the concerns over the events in Libya. He can reflect the wishes of the Canadian legislature and the views of Montreal and Quebec in regard to SNC-Lavalin. The actions of the company was wrong to any reasonable morality. But, Libya has been and will continue to be a global concern and the question is how much of the past was actually that of the company by choice or by intimidation of the Gadaffi family.
SNC-Lavalin is an international company employing 50,000 people. They are based in Quebec.
A man walks past the headquarters of SNC Lavalin in Montreal on November 6, 2014. For more than a century, SNC-Lavalin has been viewed with pride in Quebec as it grew from a small firm specializing in hydraulics into a global engineering and construction giant.Founded in 1911, it gained a reputation for building a large dam in Quebec that spearheaded the province's development of hydroelectricity and developing the skillsets for thousands of Quebec workers.
The new provincial government appears ready to assist SNC-Lavalin from any takeover attempt by reportedly putting it on a list of 10 “strategically important” companies.
Toronto — For more than a century, (click here) SNC-Lavalin has been viewed with pride in Quebec as it grew from a small firm specializing in hydraulics into a global engineering and construction giant.
Founded in 1911, it gained a reputation for building a large dam in Quebec that spearheaded the province’s development of hydroelectricity and developing the skill sets for thousands of Quebec workers.
Today the company has 50,000 employees around the world, after adding 18,000 with the acquisition of WS Atkins in 2017. However, its head count in Canada has fallen to 9,000 — including 3,400 in Quebec — from 20,000 in 2013.
For that, the Montreal-based company is seen as a provincial crown jewel that needs to be protected despite having its reputation tarnished in 2012 over bribery allegations that led to convictions of several senior executives, says an industry observer.
The province is acutely sensitive about losing another corporate headquarters — and associated jobs in law, accounting and consulting — following the exodus of many in the 1970s and later the sale of aluminum producer Alcan to Rio Tinto and Rona to U.S. rival Lowe’s, said Karl Moore, a professor at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management.
“There’s a sense that we don’t want to lose any more corporate headquarters,” he said in an interview.
The new provincial government appears ready to assist SNC-Lavalin from any takeover attempt by reportedly putting it on a list of 10 “strategically important” companies....
...And so, the reported political pressure from the Prime Minister’s Office on former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould — denied by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — to help SNC-Lavalin avoid a criminal prosecution is viewed differently in Quebec, said Moore....
I am not quite sure why the cabinet is leaving, but, I do know that PM Trudeau pledged to have a better relationship with the native people. AG Jody Wilson-Raybould is a native person, so in putting her in the AG office was a major coup for all native people.
She was looking at this company to prosecute those involved with a bribery scandal some time ago in Libya when Gadhafi was still in power. She probably is correct in looking to corruption carried out internationally, however, the legislature did not believe it should be the destruction of the company.
I am going to precede this article by saying the world knows the habits of Gadaffi and his family, especially when it comes to women and the "forever party" they believed they were entitled to. In that lies a guarantee for corruption.
AG Jody Wilson-Raybould found the Canadian involvement with these elements objectionable and rightfully so, but, the legislature took a pragmatic view rather than an idealistic one. PM Trudeau is caught between an AG Native Canadian attempting to live up to the dignity of women and corruption standards she rightfully adheres to and a legislature protecting the jobs of Canadians. To hold PM Trudeau responsible for legislation that was to protect Canadians and their futures is more political than rational. This is not his war.
I wish AG Jody Wilson-Raybould had set her initiative on the shelf while continuing to build a case for the antics of the Gadaffi family and the brevity of their role in this unfortunate case of SNC Lavalin. She can still produce a good effect if she will continue her investigation and at this point publish a book about the wayward enterprises engaged with Gadhaffi. It is import for the world to understand the ruthlessness of that regime and ways to prevent such problems in the future. AG Jody Wilson-Raybould still has a remarkable opportunity before her even as a private citizen.
March 3, 2019
By Scott Taylor
...As a result of the increased scrutiny, (click here) we are now aware of many of the more sordid details of the alleged bribery at the centre of this burgeoning scandal. According to media reports, back in 2008, Saadi Gadhafi, the third son of the late Libyan president, came to Canada as a guest of SNC-Lavalin. The Quebec based engineering corporation was seeking to curry favour with Gadhafi the younger in order to land lucrative construction contracts in Libya worth millions of dollars.
Hired to protect Saadi during his stay was GardaWorld, but the services actually provided went far beyond close-in protection. It is alleged that Garda submitted bills to SNC-Lavalin totaling about $30,000 for debauchery ranging from high-class escorts to tickets for a Spice Girls concert....
Prime Minister Trudeau needs to reflect on the values he brought to the Canadian people, the exercising of his promises and ultimately the reason the AG left in the face of obvious wrong doing of SNC-Lavalin.
He needs to strike a consiliatory tone with the Canadian people and reiterate to carry out his promises to the native people and women. I do believe he is sincere in those views and for his Prime Ministership to be trashed for others less sincere is a poor decision by the Canadian people.
He needs to continue to listen to the concerns over the events in Libya. He can reflect the wishes of the Canadian legislature and the views of Montreal and Quebec in regard to SNC-Lavalin. The actions of the company was wrong to any reasonable morality. But, Libya has been and will continue to be a global concern and the question is how much of the past was actually that of the company by choice or by intimidation of the Gadaffi family.
About the immigrant children that have fallen ill and died.
I don't know if anyone has suggested this and the WHO and CDC probably already have, but, the children should be considered lacking enough IgG to fight off the infection. Comparing their IgG to that of healthy American children of a comparable age may indicate the need for an infusion of IgG if they fall ill.
There is also the issue of malnutrition during their journey and their stores of vitamins and minerals may be depleted, hence, perhaps IV lipids and amino acids and all the large molecules such as potassium and magnesium might be in order.
There is also the issue of malnutrition during their journey and their stores of vitamins and minerals may be depleted, hence, perhaps IV lipids and amino acids and all the large molecules such as potassium and magnesium might be in order.
Capture and Release works. The Trump White House is using the worst possible policies that can be called "Capture and Detained."
The current number of border crossers are not historic high numbers and they were absorbed without a border wall in their way. Historically, the border crossers were in worse health than those today. Our foreign policies work and they have been discontinued.
The President has caused the increasing number of border crossers. Enough of this.
Senate: Democrats needed to override veto - 16
House: Democrats need 42 to 45 more votes for 2/3 majority
March 5, 2019
By Caitlin Dickerson
For the fourth time in five months, (click here) the number of migrant families crossing the southwest border has broken records, border enforcement authorities said Tuesday, warning that government facilities are full and agents are overwhelmed.
More than 76,000 migrants crossed the border without authorization in February, more than double the levels from the same period last year and approaching the largest numbers seen in any February in the last 12 years.
“The system is well beyond capacity, and remains at the breaking point,” Kevin K. McAleenan, commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, told reporters in announcing the new data.
Diverted by new restrictions at many of the leading ports of entry, migrant families, mainly from Central America, continue to arrive in ever-larger groups in remote parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. At least 70 such groups of 100 or more people have turned themselves in at Border Patrol stations that typically are staffed by only a handful of agents, often hours away from civilization. By comparison, only 13 such groups arrived in the last fiscal year, and two in the year before....
The cut in USA Aid to the Northern Triad is exactly why there are human caravans to the USA southern border seeking asylum and work. Without this aid the people are facing death from starvation and/or the drug cartels as the only employer available.
This crisis is caused by Trump's horrible foreign policies that CREATE victims seeking personal safety and productive life.
Rather than digging in and finding solutions for these countries, Trump has made it many times worse.
October 22, 2018
President Donald Trump announced (click here) that the U.S. would begin "cutting off or substantially reducing" the "massive" foreign aid it delivered to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, after the U.S. leader accused the three countries of failing to stop a caravan of Central American migrants making its way to the U.S. to claim asylum.
"Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador were not able to do the job of stopping people from leaving their country and coming illegally to the U.S.," Trump said in a Twitter statement Monday morning.
"We will now begin cutting off, or substantially reducing, the massive foreign aid routinely given to them," he continued....
The USA budget sequestration was passed in 2013. The article below is from 2014 written by the Heritage Foundation regarding the best outcomes for the Northern Triad.
It should be noted, in 2009 there was a coup d’état of the Honduran government due to ballot initiative that would have convened a National Constituent Assembly to amend the constitution. President Obama suspended funding for the fight against drug cartels. I think President Obama believed the coup would misuse the funding. As a result the cartels moved back into the region once secured away from them.
Suspending assistance to the Northern Triad does not help regardless of the leadership, it creates opportunity for criminals and threatens the USA national security.
These principles are sound and the end of the funding to these countries by Trump has created the influx of people to the USA-Mexican Border. This is a complicated issue and building a border wall only causes more problems without a clear resolve.
We already know what works and it is obvious sabotage of those initiatives will result in problems at the southern border.
Once again, the current administration is creating a greater internal crisis for the USA by detaining asylum seekers that were abandoned by our financial assistance.
...It cannot be denied that Mexico and Central America’s Northern Triangle (click here) countries—Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador—are all facing chronic citizen and economic insecurity crises. Rampant corruption and weak state institutions have made it virtually impossible to combat threats posed by violent transnational gangs and organized criminal groups. Coupled with the issue of endemic corruption, the regional debt crises and weak state institutions plague the region. Honduras has the world’s highest homicide rates, averaging 91 per 100,000 citizens. El Salvador is fourth in the world with an average of 41 per 100,000, and Guatemala is fifth at 40 per 100,000. (In comparison, the U.S. average is five per 100,000.) Located along a critical trafficking route, the isthmus is particularly vulnerable to illicit smuggling. Honduras alone is a layover spot for upwards of 79 percent of northward-bound drug flights....
...U.S. security objectives in Central America are codified in the Central American Regional Security Initiative (CARSI), which focuses on:
Creating safe streets for citizens in the region;
Disrupting the movements of criminals and contraband to, within, and between the nations of Central America;
Supporting the development of strong, capable, and accountable Central American governments;
Re-establishing effective state presence and security in communities at risk; and
Fostering enhanced levels of security coordination and cooperation among nations in the region.
Implementation and funding for these programs come from four State Department accounts: International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement (INCLE); Nonproliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining and Relations Programs; Foreign Military Financing; and the Economic Support Fund. In addition, there are various agencies implementing CARSI objectives outside the State Department’s funding purview: the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Department of the Treasury. A number of security assistance accounts, such as the International Military Education and Training (which promotes professional military education) and the Democracy Fund supplement these initiatives....
...Recognize that defense cuts have adversely affected the U.S.’s drug interdiction capabilities. Defense budget cuts are reducing the U.S.’s ability to intercept maritime trafficking, and as a result, profits continue to fuel Mexican cartels and Central American gangs. Current asset shortfalls left the U.S. unable to prevent 25 percent of suspected maritime drug smuggling in fiscal year (FY) 2013.
Support Mexican and Guatemalan border security efforts. In 2013, SOUTHCOM supported the new Guatemalan Interagency Task Force, which provides infrastructure and operational anti-trafficking support along the Mexico–Guatemalan border. Yet despite the heroic efforts of U.S. armed services, civilian personnel, and regional partners, congressional withholding requirements continue to hinder security cooperation efforts.
Increase security cooperation with Honduras. As the home of the world’s highest murder rate, Honduras is also the largest source of unlawful immigrants. Yet U.S. restrictions on security assistance have been in place since FY 2012.
Allow Honduras to repair its fleet of F-5 jet fighters. Congress blocked Honduras’s recent attempts to contract Israel’s repair services. Repairing this fleet would help offset the burden on the U.S. and support the country’s much-needed aerial interdiction capabilities.
Moving Forward
In recent years, chronic insecurity in Mexico and Central America has threatened regional stability and U.S. security interests. This recent crisis on the southwest border has raised concerns about not only U.S. immigration policy and border security, but also the utility of foreign assistance.
When used wisely, foreign aid is a key national security tool. It ensures U.S. partnerships, promotes like-minded democratic institutions, and provides the U.S. with leverage abroad. Congress should understand that as security conditions in the region continue to deteriorate, cutting foreign aid would undermine the U.S.’s security interests....
The President has caused the increasing number of border crossers. Enough of this.
Senate: Democrats needed to override veto - 16
House: Democrats need 42 to 45 more votes for 2/3 majority
March 5, 2019
By Caitlin Dickerson
For the fourth time in five months, (click here) the number of migrant families crossing the southwest border has broken records, border enforcement authorities said Tuesday, warning that government facilities are full and agents are overwhelmed.
More than 76,000 migrants crossed the border without authorization in February, more than double the levels from the same period last year and approaching the largest numbers seen in any February in the last 12 years.
“The system is well beyond capacity, and remains at the breaking point,” Kevin K. McAleenan, commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, told reporters in announcing the new data.
Diverted by new restrictions at many of the leading ports of entry, migrant families, mainly from Central America, continue to arrive in ever-larger groups in remote parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. At least 70 such groups of 100 or more people have turned themselves in at Border Patrol stations that typically are staffed by only a handful of agents, often hours away from civilization. By comparison, only 13 such groups arrived in the last fiscal year, and two in the year before....
The cut in USA Aid to the Northern Triad is exactly why there are human caravans to the USA southern border seeking asylum and work. Without this aid the people are facing death from starvation and/or the drug cartels as the only employer available.
This crisis is caused by Trump's horrible foreign policies that CREATE victims seeking personal safety and productive life.
Rather than digging in and finding solutions for these countries, Trump has made it many times worse.
October 22, 2018
President Donald Trump announced (click here) that the U.S. would begin "cutting off or substantially reducing" the "massive" foreign aid it delivered to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, after the U.S. leader accused the three countries of failing to stop a caravan of Central American migrants making its way to the U.S. to claim asylum.
"Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador were not able to do the job of stopping people from leaving their country and coming illegally to the U.S.," Trump said in a Twitter statement Monday morning.
"We will now begin cutting off, or substantially reducing, the massive foreign aid routinely given to them," he continued....
The USA budget sequestration was passed in 2013. The article below is from 2014 written by the Heritage Foundation regarding the best outcomes for the Northern Triad.
It should be noted, in 2009 there was a coup d’état of the Honduran government due to ballot initiative that would have convened a National Constituent Assembly to amend the constitution. President Obama suspended funding for the fight against drug cartels. I think President Obama believed the coup would misuse the funding. As a result the cartels moved back into the region once secured away from them.
Suspending assistance to the Northern Triad does not help regardless of the leadership, it creates opportunity for criminals and threatens the USA national security.
These principles are sound and the end of the funding to these countries by Trump has created the influx of people to the USA-Mexican Border. This is a complicated issue and building a border wall only causes more problems without a clear resolve.
We already know what works and it is obvious sabotage of those initiatives will result in problems at the southern border.
Once again, the current administration is creating a greater internal crisis for the USA by detaining asylum seekers that were abandoned by our financial assistance.
...It cannot be denied that Mexico and Central America’s Northern Triangle (click here) countries—Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador—are all facing chronic citizen and economic insecurity crises. Rampant corruption and weak state institutions have made it virtually impossible to combat threats posed by violent transnational gangs and organized criminal groups. Coupled with the issue of endemic corruption, the regional debt crises and weak state institutions plague the region. Honduras has the world’s highest homicide rates, averaging 91 per 100,000 citizens. El Salvador is fourth in the world with an average of 41 per 100,000, and Guatemala is fifth at 40 per 100,000. (In comparison, the U.S. average is five per 100,000.) Located along a critical trafficking route, the isthmus is particularly vulnerable to illicit smuggling. Honduras alone is a layover spot for upwards of 79 percent of northward-bound drug flights....
...U.S. security objectives in Central America are codified in the Central American Regional Security Initiative (CARSI), which focuses on:
Creating safe streets for citizens in the region;
Disrupting the movements of criminals and contraband to, within, and between the nations of Central America;
Supporting the development of strong, capable, and accountable Central American governments;
Re-establishing effective state presence and security in communities at risk; and
Fostering enhanced levels of security coordination and cooperation among nations in the region.
Implementation and funding for these programs come from four State Department accounts: International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement (INCLE); Nonproliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining and Relations Programs; Foreign Military Financing; and the Economic Support Fund. In addition, there are various agencies implementing CARSI objectives outside the State Department’s funding purview: the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Department of the Treasury. A number of security assistance accounts, such as the International Military Education and Training (which promotes professional military education) and the Democracy Fund supplement these initiatives....
...Recognize that defense cuts have adversely affected the U.S.’s drug interdiction capabilities. Defense budget cuts are reducing the U.S.’s ability to intercept maritime trafficking, and as a result, profits continue to fuel Mexican cartels and Central American gangs. Current asset shortfalls left the U.S. unable to prevent 25 percent of suspected maritime drug smuggling in fiscal year (FY) 2013.
Support Mexican and Guatemalan border security efforts. In 2013, SOUTHCOM supported the new Guatemalan Interagency Task Force, which provides infrastructure and operational anti-trafficking support along the Mexico–Guatemalan border. Yet despite the heroic efforts of U.S. armed services, civilian personnel, and regional partners, congressional withholding requirements continue to hinder security cooperation efforts.
Increase security cooperation with Honduras. As the home of the world’s highest murder rate, Honduras is also the largest source of unlawful immigrants. Yet U.S. restrictions on security assistance have been in place since FY 2012.
Allow Honduras to repair its fleet of F-5 jet fighters. Congress blocked Honduras’s recent attempts to contract Israel’s repair services. Repairing this fleet would help offset the burden on the U.S. and support the country’s much-needed aerial interdiction capabilities.
Moving Forward
In recent years, chronic insecurity in Mexico and Central America has threatened regional stability and U.S. security interests. This recent crisis on the southwest border has raised concerns about not only U.S. immigration policy and border security, but also the utility of foreign assistance.
When used wisely, foreign aid is a key national security tool. It ensures U.S. partnerships, promotes like-minded democratic institutions, and provides the U.S. with leverage abroad. Congress should understand that as security conditions in the region continue to deteriorate, cutting foreign aid would undermine the U.S.’s security interests....
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