Expressing the sense of the Congress that, as a matter of economic and national security, the United States Government should protect and support United States currency.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to call your attention to H. Con. Res. 390, a resolution I introduced on April 26, 2006.

We are currently living in an environment where prevention of terrorism is at the forefront of the American mind. It is important to remember that although the U.S. dollar is not typically viewed as a vessel of major catastrophic events, mass counterfeiting of the dollar will undermine the U.S. economy and ultimately destroy the security of our Nation. We have come a long way in protecting our highly visible assets since September 11, 2001. Now we must also extend that to our currency.

H. Con. Res. 390 calls upon the U.S. government to ensure the protection of the U.S. dollar and defend its integrity throughout the world. Our Nation must deter counterfeiting of our currency in order to preserve the strength of the U.S. dollar and protect America from a economic disaster.

Recent global politics illustrate the necessity of H. Con. Res. 390. A few months ago, the United States accused the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) of counterfeiting the U.S. dollar. In retaliation, North Korea claimed that the CIA had counterfeited the U.S. dollar and planted the counterfeit bills in North Korea. Despite North Korea's claim of innocence, it is estimated that at least $45 million counterfeit U.S. dollar are in circulation and have originated from North Korea.

A timely CRS report released March 22, 2006, correctly states that any act of counterfeiting the U.S. dollar is a direct attack on the United States. We must not allow our adversaries the option of using counterfeit U.S. dollars to cause harm against our Nation or economy. That is why H. Con. Res. 390 is so necessary.

This is not just a threat against the United States. The U.S. dollar is the world's reserve currency. Undermining the value of the dollar will negatively affect our allies and the nations that are dependent on our currency. Counterfeiting of the U.S. dollar weakens our own ability to protect the U.S. and also pads the arsenals of those who wish to engineer our destruction.

It is time to step up and put a stop to the obvious counterfeiting of the U.S. dollar by foreign nations. I am proud to introduce H. Con. Res. 390 in the House, and I hope my colleagues will join me in support of this measure. We must protect our most important national asset--the U.S. dollar.