[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 50 (Wednesday, April 29, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H2444]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         A QUESTION OF PRIORITY

  (Mr. DeLAY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, hypocrisy is a very tough word, so I will not 
use it in the context of the President's stance on tobacco. But let me 
just say that the President has his priorities wrong when it comes to 
his policies regarding children's health.
  While he spends much of his time bashing tobacco, he has turned a 
blind eye to the skyrocketing problem of drug abuse in this country. 
Over 20,000 children a year die as a result of illegal drugs in this 
country, but the President's response has been to throw in the towel 
when it comes to the war on drugs. In fact, last week he not only 
condoned, but endorsed the free distribution of needles to heroin 
addicts. While the President is taking a cigarette from a teenager, he 
is giving them a condom and a needle to shoot up with heroin.
  I think the President needs to get his priorities straight, Mr. 
Speaker. We should stop children from smoking, but first, we need to 
stop children from using illegal drugs.

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