GRAMM AND BOXER SPONSOR LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ALTER THE U.S.
DRUG-CERTIFICATION PROCESS

Washington-A political odd couple, conservative Sen. Phil Gramm of
Texas and liberal Sen. Babara Boxer of California, introduced
legislation Thursday that would overhaul the controversial process of
certifying other nations as drug-fighting allies.

The senators are heading a bipartisan drive to revamp the current
process that causes an annual rift between the United States, Mexico
and other countries battling narcotics cartels.

By law, the president must evaluate the efforts of 28 countries and
certify them as partners in the drug war by March 1 of each year. The
law requires Congress to approve or reject the administration's
findings within 30 days.

"The requirement that the United States certify Mexico's anti-drug
efforts puts Congress in a position of either certifying something
that is clearly untrue or creating a rupture in U.S.-Mexico relations
that would make drug enforcement even more difficult," said Gramm, a
Republican.

Said Boxer, a Democrat: "What we have now in some cases is the worst of
both worlds. Either we ignore serious drug problems and vote to certify, or
we vote to decertify countries that are our close allies."

Their proposal would exempt from the certification process countries
that have a bilateral, anti-drug agreement with the United States.

And it would require the administration to report to Congress twice
each year on the progress in meeting mutual goals such as curbing
narcotics production, trafficking and demand.

Under the new proposal, Congress, at any time, could vote to place a
country back in the certification process, Boxer said.

The plan is "particularly important to those of us from border states,
which are hit so hard by the traffic in illegal drugs and want to make
progress, not point fingers," Boxer said.

The current certification process was created by Congress in 1986 and
has prompted protests annually from leaders in Mexico and other
countries whose efforts are judged by this country, the world's
largest consumer of illicit narcotics.

"America would not be certified under the certification process," said
Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., who joined Boxer and Gramm in introducing
the bill.