Research

As President Obama praises his Mexican counterpart President Felipe Calderon at tonight’s White House State Dinner, President Obama’s actions are not following suit. During a time of record violence across Mexico, the White House is more intent on attacking the state of Arizona for confronting the continued national security threat posed by a porous border and broken immigration system than he is with protecting the American people.

At the same time, President Obama is drastically reducing American support for Mexico’s ongoing battle against the drug cartel. In fact, according to National Journal’s Burn After Reading blog, President Obama is requesting to “slash appropriations for Mexico's military by $236 million compared with the fiscal year 2010 estimate.”

Meanwhile, as illegal drugs continue to flood into the United States, and the threat of cross border violence continues to grow under Obama’s wandering eye, the administration is gutting important counternarcotics and law enforcement programs across Latin America. But as The Washington Post editorial board explains, this is no time to retreat against brutal drug cartels.

Still, given that the level of violence is still rising, the sharp reduction in U.S. assistance makes little sense. The United States should be doing everything that Mexico will allow it to do to aid its security forces… The administration has an abundance of foreign challenges. But it's hard to think of a higher priority than stabilizing a neighbor and major trading partner. The Obama administration and Congress should be expanding, not cutting back, funding for the Merida initiative.

So while President Obama lavishly dines at the White House, let’s hope he is able to remember the importance of a stable neighbor to the south. Then, hopefully, his actions will follow his words.