Date: 2003-09-30
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. first of all. let me thank the gentleman from Indiana (Chairman SOUDER) for his leadership on this issue. as he has made a career of this since he came to Congress. and to his ranking member. of Maryland. I appreciate them working together. To my ranking member on the full committee. the gentleman from California . we appreciate his input here to reach this compromise we have here today. Since its inception in 1988. the Office of National Drug Control Policy has been the cornerstone of drug policy in America. improving the lives of all Americans by reducing the presence of drugs in our society. This office has been producing the results our Nation needs: Teen drug use is on the decline. and that is just one of many positive advancements which have been made by ONDCP in the last couple of years. The many positive signs and trends that Director Walters reported in this years National Drug Control Strategy clearly demonstrate the difference the office can make when strong and effective leadership is merged with sound policy. Drug use and abuse is a national crisis that affects the health of our citizens and. in turn. our country. To win the war on drugs. we need to address the problem of drugs in our society from every angle. This legislation gives ONDCP the appropriate resources to stop drug use before it starts. to heal drug users. and disrupt drug markets. We all know that drugs affect people from all walks of life. Rich. poor. whatever race. addiction does not discriminate. A strong national drug policy is in the interests of every American. Mr. Speaker. the bill we bring to the floor today is bipartisan in the best sense of the word. It is the product of careful negotiation and strong bipartisan agreement. In crafting this important piece of legislation. we aimed to provide the best possible support for the administration and Director Walters in implementing the Presidents strategy. We sought to make ONDCP more efficient by reducing outdated reporting and structural requirements. that are in the current law. We also gave significant attention to reforms of the Media Campaign and the HIDTA program to ensure that they are effective and true to their original aims. Both of these programs have grown in ways that were not originally intended. and the bill reflects the desire to ensure that the programs- remain accountable and dedicated to their core purposes. Again. I want to thank the gentleman from Indiana (Chairman SOUDER) and the subcommittee ranking member. the gentleman from Maryland . and my full committee counterpart. the gentleman from California (Ranking Member WAXMAN) for their leadership. dedication. and hard work on this authorization legislation. I am happy that we could reach a bipartisan agreement on this bill. It is too important to play politics with. and there is no place for partisanship in protecting our children against drugs. This bipartisanship was reflected in the unanimous vote to pass the bill out of our committee. Mr. Speaker. I am confident that we have put together a cohesive. effective piece of legislation to maintain and provide ONDCP with the necessary tools to reduce illicit drug use. .manufacturing. and trafficking. and drugrelated crime and violence. and drugrelated health consequences.