Finally, we are taking the cartel threat seriously (well, some of us are anyway)
House Rep Dan Crenshaw- Republican – TX: “This may come as a surprise to you (it was for me when I found out), but we can’t legally use FISA authorities to “wiretap” the Mexican drug cartel affiliates or the Chinese companies that make precursors for fentanyl. We are missing an enormous amount of information about supply chains, money laundering, trafficking, and production – all because the law isn’t updated to deal with this new fentanyl problem. So today I offered an amendment to change that. It was very simple, only one sentence. It would simply allow us to apply for warrants to wiretap these cartel organizations operating overseas. It was NOT attached to any other legislation or “poison pills” that would give anyone a reasonable excuse to vote against it. No brainer right? Luckily it passed. It will likely become law. It will help stop these thugs and save American lives. Who would be against that? Well, it turns out about 83 Republicans and 69 Democrats are against collecting intelligence on cartels or their Chinese partners. Ironically, many of these members talk a really tough talk about cartels. They talk about “fighting them.” How do you fight an enemy you can’t even collect intelligence on? But when given a simple choice, they chose NOT to take the first step necessary to actually be “tough” against murderous cartels and their buddies in China. The reasons I got? It “expanded” surveillance. No, it updates the list of FOREIGN targets in FOREIGN lands that we can apply for a warrant to target. Am I surprised? Pissed? Maybe. Definitely disappointed. I’m tired of seeing people up here say one thing and do another. It’s exhausting. They might be against the FISA program (that’s a whole other debate), but against collecting intelligence on cartels? Seriously? They had the chance to vote against the FISA bill (which they did) but still support the amendment to target cartels if they had wanted to. They were separate votes. The amendments always come first. Sorry, but you need to hear this. You need to know the truth about what goes on up here. You need to know that those 83 Republicans aligned with the far-left progressives to try and take down this amendment. I count many of them as friends and partners, even if we don’t always agree. So I was astonished by this result. But it passed. Thank God. I can go home and tell the parents of fentanyl victims that we are fighting for them, and actually taking action. But if you hear the Nay votes talking tough about the cartels, make them explain why they voted to protect El Chapo, Chinese companies making precursors, or money launderers in Mexico. Ask them why they don’t want us to spy on them even with a warrant. (yes! This amendment actually just allows us to APPLY for a warrant!!!) I was tempted to list their names here. I won’t. I’m not trying to get you to swarm their offices. But I’m not going to sugarcoat the truth either. You can look up vote records easily by googling “house roll call votes Bill Number: H. R. 7888″ and clicking on Roll Call Votes – Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. And f*** the cartels.”
