mr. chairman , i rise in support of the kennedy-hooley amendment to h.r. 2601 . 
the u.s. department of justice estimates that 90 percent of the meth available in nebraska is trafficked from superlabs operated by drug cartels in mexico , california , and the southwestern states . 
local law enforcement officers face that challenge of dismantling home-based meth labs while combating the flow of meth from international drug trafficking . 
the kennedy-hooley amendment will help give local law enforcement officers the tools they need to combat meth . 
it requires the u.s. state department to report and certify that countries heavily involved in the import or export of pseudoephedrine -- a key meth ingredient -- are cooperating with local law enforcement agencies to prevent its misuse and diversion . 
countries that do not comply would be subject to consequences under the foreign assistance act . 
in omaha , nebraska , seven of nine law enforcement jurisdictions identify meth as the drug that most contributes to violent crime . 
omaha policemen tell me that meth is now the drug of choice for gangs in north omaha , replacing crack cocaine and heroin . 
sixty percent of inmates in nebraska jails have problems with meth , and the toll on families in nebraska is incalculable . 
i urge my colleagues to join me in voting for the kennedy-hooley amendment to help stop meth smuggling for mexican drug cartels , and support our law enforcement officers . 
