89–006 

111TH CONGRESS REPT. 111–429 " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session Part 1 

REPORT ON MERIDA INITIATIVE 

MARCH 9, 2010.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, from the Committee on Homeland 

Security, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 3239] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Homeland Security, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 3239) to require the Secretary of Homeland Security, in 

consultation with the Secretary of State, to submit a report on the 

effects of the Merida Initiative on the border security of the United 

States, and for other purposes, having considered the same, report 

favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that the bill 

as amended do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Purpose and Summary ............................................................................................ 2 

Background and Need for Legislation .................................................................... 2 

Hearings ................................................................................................................... 2 

Committee Consideration ........................................................................................ 2 

Committee Votes ...................................................................................................... 3 

Committee Oversight Findings ............................................................................... 3 

New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures ............. 3 

Congressional Budget Office Estimate ................................................................... 3 

Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives .................................... 4 

Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff Benefits ... 4 

Federal Mandates Statement ................................................................................. 4 

Advisory Committee Statement .............................................................................. 5 

Constitutional Authority Statement ...................................................................... 5 

Applicability to Legislative Branch ........................................................................ 5 

Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation ...................................................... 5 

Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported ..................................... 5 

Committee Correspondence .................................................................................... 6 

The amendment is as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 


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SECTION 1. REPORT ON MERIDA INITIATIVE. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of this 

Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, 

shall submit to Congress a report on the effects of the Merida Initiative on the following: (1) Enhancing border security. 

(2) Reducing the potential for border violence. 

(3) Preventing the illicit flow of arms, bulk cash, human trafficking and smug- gling, and illegal narcotics across the border between the United States and 

Mexico. 

(4) Improving cooperation between officials and agencies of the Department of Homeland Security and the foreign counterparts of such officials and agencies 

participating in the Merida Initiative, including a detailed description of how 

cooperation has or has not improved under the Merida Initiative. (b) MERIDA INITIATIVE DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘Merida Initiative’’ 

means the program announced by the United States and Mexico on October 22, 

2007, to fight illicit narcotics trafficking and criminal organizations throughout the 

Western Hemisphere. 

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

The purpose of H.R. 3239 is to require the Secretary of Home- land Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to submit a report on the effects of the Merida Initiative on the border 

security of the United States, and for other purpose 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

The Merida Initiative, a $1.4 billion multiyear, multinational 

proposal, was developed to combat rising trafficking and organized 

crime. The Department of Homeland Security, the federal agency 

with the largest presence on the U.S.–Mexico border, plays a significant role in the implementation of the Merida Initiative by 

building on existing relationships with Mexican, Central American, 

and Caribbean law enforcement agencies. In light of increasing border violence, it is important to take steps to maximize effective 

interagency coordination of the Initiative. H.R. 3239 will provide 

Congress with a useful tool to gauge the impact of border security 

activities and acknowledge the Department’s contributions. 

HEARINGS

No hearings were held on H.R. 3239. 

COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

The Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism met on Thursday, July 23, 2009, to consider H.R. 3239, and 

forwarded H.R. 3239 to the Full Committee for consideration with 

the recommendation that it pass, amended, by voice vote. The Subcommittee adopted the bill by unanimous consent. 

A unanimous consent request by Ms. Sanchez to adopt H.R. 

3239, and the amendments prefiled thereto; was not objected 

to. 

The following amendments were offered: 

An amendment offered by Mr. Souder to H.R. 3239 (#1); 

Page 2, beginning line 5, strike ‘‘arms and bulk cash’’ and insert ‘‘arms, bulk cash, human trafficking and smuggling, and 

illegal narcotics’’; was AGREED TO by unanimous consent. 

An amendment offered by Mr. Souder to H.R. 3239 (#2); 

Page 2, beginning line 8, insert the following: ‘‘(4) Improving 

cooperation between officials and agencies of the Department 


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of Homeland Security and the foreign counterparts of such 

officials and agencies participating in the Merida Initiative, 

including a detailed description of how cooperation has or 

has not improved under the Merida Initiative.’’; was 

AGREED TO by unanimous consent. 

The Committee met on November 17, 2009, to consider H.R. 

3239, and ordered the measure to be reported to the House with 

a favorable recomendation, amended, by voice vote. The Committee 

took the following actions: 

The Committee adopted the measure, as amended, by unanimous 

consent. 

The following amendments were offered: 

An Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute offered by Mrs. 

Kirkpatrick (#1); was AGREED TO by unanimous consent. 

COMMITTEE VOTES

Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives requires the Committee to list the recorded votes on the motion to report legislation and amendments thereto. 

No recorded votes were requested during consideration of H.R. 

3239. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the Committee has held oversight hearings and 

made findings that are reflected in this report. 

NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY, ENTITLEMENT AUTHORITY, AND TAX

EXPENDITURES

In compliance with clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee finds that H.R. 3239, to 

require the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with 

the Secretary of State, to submit a report on the effects of the 

Merida Initiative on the border security of the United States, and 

for other purposes, would result in no new or increased budget authority, entitlement authority, or tax expenditures or revenues. 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATE

The Committee adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared by 

the Director of the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 

402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. 

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, November 23, 2009. 

Hon. BENNIE G. THOMPSON, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 3239, a bill to require the 

Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary 

of State, to submit a report on the effects of the Merida Initiative 

on the border security of the United States, and for other purposes. 


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If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark Grabowicz. 

Sincerely, 

DOUGLAS W. ELMENDORF. 

Enclosure. 

H.R. 3239—A bill to require the Secretary of Homeland Security, in 

consultation with the Secretary of State, to submit a report on 

the effects of the Merida Initiative on the border security of the 

United States, and for other purposes 

H.R. 3239 would require the Department of Homeland Security 

to prepare a report for the Congress on the effects of the Merida 

Initiative on the incidence of human trafficking and other crimes 

near the United States border and on other issues relating to border security. The Merida Initiative is a partnership among the 

United States, Mexico, and other countries to combat drug trafficking and organized crime in the Western Hemisphere. CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 3239 would have no significant cost 

to the federal government. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues or direct spending. 

H.R. 3239 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not affect 

the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Mark Grabowicz. This 

estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, H.R. 3239 contains the following general performance goals, and objectives, including outcome related goals and 

objectives authorized. 

This legislation will give the Congress a meaningful tool to track 

investment of human and capital resources into the Merida Initiative. Moreover, this bill will provide the Committee with a report 

needed to complete its oversight work with respect to border security along the Southern Border and allow the Committee to have 

a more meaningful oversight role with respect to Department of 

Homeland Security resources to ensure they are being used effectively. 

CONGRESSIONAL EARMARKS, LIMITED TAX BENEFITS, AND LIMITED

TARIFF BENEFITS

In compliance with rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, this bill, as reported, contains no congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in 

clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of the rule XXI. 

FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office 

pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. 


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ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this legislation. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the Committee finds that the Constitutional authority for this legislation is provided in Article I, section 8, clause 

1, which grants Congress the power to provide for the common Defense of the United States. 

APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to the 

terms and conditions of employment or access to public services or 

accommodations within the meaning of section 102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION

Section 1. Report on Merida Initative 

Subsection A requires the Secretary of Homeland Security, with 

consultation from the Secretary of State, to submit a report within 

12 months of enactment describing the effects of the Merida Initiative on: 

1. Enhancing border security; 

2. Reducing border violence; 

3. Preventing the illicit flow of weapons, cash, human trafficking and smuggling and narcotics; and 

4. Improving cooperation between Department of Homeland 

Security officials and agencies and corresponding counterparts in participating countries. 

Subsection B defines ‘‘Merida Initiative’’ to mean the program 

announced by the United States and Mexico on October 22, 2007, 

to combat drug trafficking and criminal organizations in the Western Hemisphere. 

The Committee intends for the report established by H.R. 3239 

to examine the Merida Initiative’s impact in enhancing various aspects of border security. It will underscore the Department’s integral role by highlighting the significant border security personnel, 

assets, and expertise involved in the Initiative. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

H.R. 3239 makes no changes to exisiting law. 


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