[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 85 (Wednesday, June 18, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5945-S5947]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   DRUG FREE COMMUNITIES ACT OF 1997

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 65, H.R. 956.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 956) to amend the National Narcotics 
     Leadership Act of 1988 to establish a program to support and 
     encourage local communities that first demonstrate a 
     comprehensive, long-term commitment to reduce substance abuse 
     among youth, and for other purposes.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the bill?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
 Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, today the Senate is giving final 
approval to the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997. This bill will help 
protect our children from the deadly danger of drugs. By approving this 
bill, we are putting more resources in the hands of those who are 
making a difference in the fight against drugs: parents, teachers, 
coaches, and civic and religious leaders.
  At the same time, though, the bill is fiscally responsible. In this 
time of tight fiscal constraints, we have created a bill that does not 
increase the Federal deficit by a single penny. The legislation simply 
redirects existing Federal funds from less productive areas of the drug 
control budget to community-based anti-drug coalitions with proven 
track records in the fight against drugs. What's more, the bill 
requires a financial commitment from communities that seek funds. The 
requirement of matching grants will force the communities to 
demonstrate an even greater commitment to fighting drug abuse before 
receiving Federal funds.

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  The Drug-Free Communities Act has attracted the support of more than 
150 State and local law enforcement groups, churches, and other 
organizations. On the national level, it has been endorsed by groups as 
diverse as Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and William Bennett's Empower 
America. In my own State, the South Dakota Department of Human Services 
and Siouxland Cares have also committed their support. As these 
endorsements suggest, this bill represents a wonderful opportunity to 
provide meaningful help to community anti-drug coalitions in South 
Dakota and throughout the country.
  I am extremely pleased that my colleagues are supporting this 
legislation to keep our children away from drugs, and drugs away from 
our children.
  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I thank the Senator for bringing the Drug 
Free Communities Act to the floor today. I am proud to be an original 
cosponsor of this legislation--and I urge all my colleagues to support 
it today.
  We face an epidemic of drug abuse in this country--particularly among 
children. Substance abuse by young people has more than doubled during 
the past 5 years, and children are beginning to use drugs at younger 
ages. This trend has major implications for public health, which 
include the dangers of long-term addiction and disease. There also are 
costs to society as a whole in the form of poorer educational 
achievement, lost productivity, increased health care costs, and higher 
levels of crime. The most important cost, however, is the tragic loss 
of the potential and aspirations of many of our young people.
  During America's long fight against substance abuse, community-based 
coalitions have offered a way to turn this situation around. These 
coalitions have consistently shown that grassroots efforts to educate 
young people about the dangers of drug abuse do work. It is clear that 
a Federal drug abuse strategy must complement and enhance community 
actions wherever possible.
  Recognizing the success of community-based programs, the Drug Free 
Communities Act will enhance programs that work by providing matching 
grants to community coalitions with proven track records. This is a 
sensible approach, because it builds on the hard-won, practical 
experience of people who have been in the forefront of the fight 
against substance abuse.
  America's children are our most important resource, and substance 
abuse places them at great risk. The Drug Free Communities Act will 
enhance the ability of communities across the country to protect the 
health of their young people. This proposal has great potential for 
success and deserves our wholehearted support.
  Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I rise today to express support for the 
Drug-Free Communities Act and I would like to commend its sponsors, 
Senators Grassley, Daschle, DeWine, and D'Amato for their efforts in 
developing this important legislation.
  Unfortunately, a recent poll conducted by the Partnership for a Drug-
Free America indicated that younger and younger children are using 
drugs. This poll is only the latest evidence of a very disturbing trend 
of increasing drug use by young people. It is important that we act to 
stop drug use and to prevent the devastation that drug use will have on 
America's young people.
  The Drug-Free Communities Act is an important step in this effort. 
This legislation provides local community groups, who have proven track 
records addressing teen drug use, with the funding they need to really 
combat drug usage. The Drug-Usage Communities Act creates an advisory 
commission, consisting of local community leaders, who will oversee the 
program and make sure that funds are directed to those groups that are 
successful in fighting drug use by America's children. The act provides 
funding only to those groups that can match the Federal dollars with 
non-Federal funds, ensuring that viable community groups will 
participate in the program and sustain anti-drug efforts as the fight 
continues. Lastly, the Drug-Free Communities Act requires no new 
funding. Funds will come from the $16 billion Federal drug control 
budget.
  This legislation is extremely important to the war on drugs. With the 
latest news that our efforts are flagging, that children are giving in 
to the temptation of drugs, we must fight back. The drug dealers are 
not waiting to approach our children, they never hesitate to make a 
sale. We cannot delay in fighting for them. We must reinvigorate the 
effort to protect our children. We must pass the Drug-Free Communities 
Act.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I'm pleased that the Senate is turning 
its attention today to the Drug Free Communities Act. As a cosponsor of 
this legislation, I want to thank Senator Grassley for his leadership 
in developing the bill and the chairman for agreeing to move it through 
the committee expeditiously. This is an important bill for children and 
communities, and it deserves to be passed quickly and signed into law.
  The Drug Free Communities Act will provide needed support to local 
partnerships, which play an important role in helping children and 
teens to resist drugs. My State of Wisconsin currently has 132 such 
community-based partnerships--groups of parents, teachers, community 
and religious leaders, youth advocates, and others who come together to 
teach leadership skills and provide kids with alternative activities 
and opportunities.
  In Marshfield, WI, for instance, the Wood County Partnership Council 
has focused on activities to reduce drunk driving by teens. Programs 
sponsored by the council have included regional teen institutes, parent 
to parent workshops, and general prevention training of community 
members.
  In Milwaukee, Neighborhood Partners has developed grassroots 
neighborhood organizations which focus on preventing substance abuse 
and drug-related crime. These organizations have helped to establish 
neighborhood watch programs, after school tutorial programs, and block 
patrols. Two years after founding this partnership, the personal 
property crime rate in the targeted area fell by 16 percent, as 
compared with a Milwaukee-wide decrease of 12 percent.
  These are the sorts of programs that might apply for funding under 
the Drug Free Communities Act, in order to help support parents and 
other community volunteers reach more youths with their important 
messages.
  No new funds will be appropriated under H.R. 956. Instead, funding 
for qualifying local partnerships will be diverted from the existing 
$16 billion drug control budget. In order to ensure that the coalitions 
receiving these Federal dollars are sustainable, grants will be made 
available only to broad-based, local partnerships that have been active 
for at least 6 months, and are able to match their Federal awards 
dollar for dollar, with either cash or in-kind contributions.
  Supporting locally-based prevention initiatives is a critical piece 
of a comprehensive drug control strategy. The Judiciary Committee, on 
which I sit, spends a good deal of time addressing issues of crime that 
stem from youth and adult drug use. I'm pleased that today the Senate 
is focusing, in a bipartisan way, on preventing the root cause of so 
much crime, by supporting parents and localities in their efforts to 
prevent youth drug use.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
considered read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be 
placed at the appropriate place in the Record.
  Mr. FORD. Mr. President, reserving the right to object--and I will 
not object--there is no objection on this side. I would like to note 
that the distinguished Democratic leader, Senator Daschle, who is 
unable to be here this evening, is a cosponsor of this legislation and 
endorses it highly.
  I have no objection.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I might go beyond that and say this has 
very, very broad bipartisan support.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, so ordered.
  The bill (H.R. 956) was passed.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am pleased that the Senate has passed 
H.R. 956, the Drug Free Communities Act of 1997, today. Earlier this 
month, this same bill was approved by a vote of 420 to 1 in the other 
body. As you know, I, along with 18 of my colleagues, introduced a 
companion version of this legislation in the Senate

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earlier this year. By the close of business today, this legislation has 
garnered a total of 29 cosponsors.
  Mr. President, this is an outstanding show of support for this 
important piece of legislation. When each of us return home over 
recess, we meet with the people that we represent. We listen to their 
problems, and we listen to their solutions. And when we talk about 
drugs, and talk about what can be done to keep our kids from using 
drugs, it always comes back to the community. What matters most is what 
parents, schools, churches, law enforcement, community groups, and 
businesses do, working together, to keep our kids drug free.
  This legislation will support these efforts. It will allow 
communities with established coalitions, coalitions that have a proven 
track record, to receive matching funds to support their efforts. It 
will provide additional resources in the hands of those who make a 
difference; people that our children respect and listen to: parents. 
Placing resources at the community level allows parents, teachers, 
community, and religious leaders to use these funds to make a 
difference in the lives of our children, our future.
  I want to thank my colleagues and co-sponsors on both sides of the 
aisle. I particularly want to thank Senator Daschle, Senator DeWine, 
Senator Biden, and Senator Hatch and many others for their support and 
efforts in moving this legislation.

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