[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 157 (Sunday, November 9, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2277]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL STRATEGY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ROB PORTMAN

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Saturday, November 8, 1997

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my serious concerns 
about the failure of the Department of Defense to provide sufficient 
support for the National Drug Control Strategy in its fiscal year 1999 
request. I also would like to commend the Office of National Drug 
Control Policy for refusing to certify the DOD budget request.
  After making tremendous progress in the war on drugs from 1979 
through 1991, drug abuse among our young people has been rising 
significantly over the past 5 years. Drug abuse is not only threatening 
the health and lives of our young people, it is a predominant factor 
behind violent crime, welfare dependency, teenage pregnancy, rising 
health costs, lower economic productivity, the spread of AIDS, and many 
other problems. Now is not the time to be backing away from our 
responsibilities to attack this problem.
  Many of us in Congress have been working hard over the past few years 
to reverse these disturbing trends. We have been working in cooperation 
with General McCaffrey to support and enhance the National Drug Control 
Strategy. We must continue to support the goals of the strategy on both 
the supply and demand sides.
  We strongly support the effort to ensure that the Department of 
Defense amends its fiscal year 1999 budget request to include an 
additional $141 million in drug control initiatives. These funds are 
absolutely essential to enhance efforts in the Andes, the Caribbean, 
Mexico, and along our borders, where this battle has to been fought 
initially. With a strong effort in source countries and along our 
borders, we can help reduce the use of drugs in the United States, 
which is crippling our young people.
  Currently, counterdrug spending represents only 0.3 percent of the 
total Department of Defense budget. Despite rising drug use, the 
Department's counterdrug effort has declined by 2 percent since fiscal 
year 1996.
  I also believe that it is vitally important to have a coordinated 
effort with leadership from the Office of National Drug Control Policy. 
This is a good example of why we need a drug czar. If we all stand 
behind the same goals and work hard in every agency and in Congress to 
support and enhance the anti-drug efforts at home and abroad, we will 
reverse the disturbing escalation in illegal drug use in our 
communities.
  I call on the Department of Defense to bring its budget request in 
line with the National Drug Control Strategy and to help support the 
comprehensive Federal effort we must have if we are going to reduce 
drug abuse.

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