[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 59 (Tuesday, May 12, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H3036-H3040]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENSE OF THE HOUSE WITH RESPECT TO WINNING THE WAR ON DRUGS
Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 423) expressing the sense of the House with
respect to winning the war on drugs to protect our children.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 423
Whereas drug abuse killed 14,218 Americans in 1995 and it
is estimated that nearly 114,000 Americans--many of them our
youth--will have died as a result of drug abuse by the end of
the period between 1992 and 2001, and it is estimated that
13,000,000 Americans used illegal drugs in 1996;
Whereas American taxpayers footed a $150,000,000,000 bill
for drug-related criminal and medical costs in 1997, which is
more than we spent in 1997's Federal budget for programs to
fund education, transportation and infrastructure
improvements, agriculture, energy, space and all foreign aid
combined;
Whereas 34 percent of Americans see drug interdiction as a
top priority foreign policy issue, above illegal immigration
and the threat of terrorism, and 39 percent of Americans
believe decreasing drug trafficking should be our primary
objective in United States policy toward Latin America; and
Whereas the week of September 13 through 19, 1998 has been
designated as the ``Drug-Free America Blue Ribbon Campaign
Week'' to remind our children that they are not alone in the
fight for a Drug-Free America: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House that--
(1) the House declares its commitment to create a Drug-Free
America;
(2) the Members of the House should work personally to
mobilize kids, parents, faith-based and community
organizations, educators, local officials and law enforcement
officers, as well as coaches and athletes to wage a winning
war on drugs;
(3) the House pledges to pass legislation that provides the
weapons and tools necessary to protect our children and our
communities from the dangers of drug addiction and violence;
and
(4) the United States will fight this war on drugs on three
major battlefronts:
(A) Deterring demand.
(B) Stopping supply.
(C) Increasing accountability.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Hastert) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois, (Mr. Hastert).
General Leave
Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 423.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
(Mr. HASTERT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, we are facing a grave situation in this country, a
situation that is not unlike scenes that we have faced within the last
20 years. Our children are being constantly nibbled away at with the
threat of drugs, drugs in our communities, drugs in our neighborhoods,
drugs in our schools. And we have constantly tried to wage this war.
Unfortunately, it has been a war that has not been coordinated over the
years, a war that policy does not always meet the appropriations, and a
war where the public hears a little bit but sees little.
It is time for this Congress and this Nation to move forward to lay
out a plan to win the war on drugs by the year 2002, to give the
American people a solid plan to do this, to coordinate a policy and
appropriations so the money goes to the place and gets the job done the
quickest and the best. We must raise the level of awareness that there
is a serious drug epidemic in our society.
This winning the war on drugs resolution takes the initial step to do
that by listing the unfortunate facts about drug usage, the associated
costs borne by the American taxpayers through drug-related crime and
violence as well as higher medical bills.
I am pleased to see that just today the Congress has even pulled the
President to the table and spurred him to propose a crime initiative
that at its roots claims to target illegal drugs and money laundering,
key aspects of the Speaker's Task Force for a Drug Free America agenda.
This is a step in the right direction. National leaders need to come
together. National leaders need to be engaged on this national problem.
The resolution also designates the second week of September as Drug
Free America Blue Ribbon Campaign Week so every American can join
together to protest illegal drugs by wearing a straight blue ribbon.
Finally and most importantly for this body, it declares the House
commitment to win the war on drugs by deterring demand, stopping supply
and increasing accountability.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution expressing the
sense of the House with respect to winning the war on drugs to protect
our children. Since the majority party did not, for whatever reason,
have hearings on this bill, I thought I would just read for Members in
the House that are watching today just the basic thrust of the bill:
Resolved that it is the sense of the House that the House declares
its commitment to create a Drug-Free America; that Members of the House
should work personally to mobilize kids, parents, faith-based and
community organizations, educators, local officials and law enforcement
officers as well as coaches and athletes to wage a winning war on
drugs; that the House pledges to pass legislation that provides the
weapons and tools necessary to protect our children and our communities
from the dangers of drug addiction and violence; and that the United
States will fight this war on drugs on three major battle fronts:
deterring demand, stopping supply, increasing accountability.
That is the resolution in front of us. Who could oppose it?
While I share my colleagues' commitment to protecting our children
from the dangers of drug abuse, Mr. Speaker, I have my doubts that a 3-
page resolution which commits this House to the creation of a drug-free
America will move the Nation any nearer to accomplish this goal. It
will not stop one more child from using drugs. It will not prevent
another young man or young woman from overdosing on drugs. It will not
stop a single drug dealer from
[[Page H3037]]
peddling his poisons. Drug abuse in our schools, our workplaces and our
communities remains a serious problem that demands serious answers. For
these reasons, we must build on successful drug abuse prevention
initiatives like the safe and drug-free schools program, which provides
grants to State and local schools.
These funds have helped thousands of schools and local communities
across the country combat the scourge of drugs by allowing them to
implement effective and creative prevention strategies based on the
unique needs of the students they are trying to protect in the
neighborhoods in which they live.
In the district I represent in northeast Ohio, parents, teachers, and
students in areas as diverse as the city of Lorain and Amish farm
communities in Geauga County have utilized tools like this program to
successfully fight drug abuse. These efforts across the country have
helped millions of children reject the lure of illegal drugs and
succeed in school. But our fight is not yet won. We clearly need more
help.
Additionally, this resolution will not stem the flood of illegal
drugs which are being trafficked across our border with Mexico. A
recent confidential report entitled ``Drug Trafficking, Commercial
Trade and NAFTA on the Southwestern Border,'' by Operation Alliance, a
task force led by the U.S. Customs Service, found that it is easier
than ever to smuggle drugs into the United States through Mexico.
According to the report, drug cartels have purchased legitimate
trucking, rail and warehousing companies which they have used as fronts
in their smuggling operations. Due to the flood of commercial vehicle
traffic across our border, spawned by NAFTA, the failure of State
governments, especially in Texas, to inspect trucks and our lax and
inadequate inspection system, we have made it much easier for the drug
cartels to smuggle their poisons into the United States. A former DEA
official said, for Mexico's drug gangs, NAFTA was a deal made in narco-
heaven.
So we find not only has this failed trade agreement cost American
workers their jobs, it also put our children at greater risk by
increasing their exposure to illegal drugs.
Mr. Speaker, we will not deter drug abuse by passing 3-page
resolutions expressing the sense of the House of Representatives. We
will only help parents, teachers, and students by providing them with
the resources and the tools they need to better educate our children to
the dangers of drug abuse so they can avoid falling into its deadly
grip.
We undermine these efforts by passing bad trade agreements and
ignoring the woefully inadequate interdiction efforts on our southwest
border, in essence rolling out the red carpet to foreign drug
smugglers. While I support this resolution before the body today, I do
so in the hopes that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will
join us in passing real meaningful legislation which will help protect
our children from drugs.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I appreciate the gentleman from Ohio making the statement. I agree. A
3-page resolution does not get the job done. But a 3-page resolution
also makes a claim that this Congress has the will to get the job done.
We lose 20,000 Americans each year to drugs and drug-related violence
and gang violence on our street corners. Most of those are kids. We
have to pass legislation that affects our communities, that affects our
borders, that affects the flow of drugs from outside this country.
I agree with the gentleman from Ohio, we need to do that. And my
colleagues will see, as we start to roll out pieces of legislation
every week for the next 10 weeks, that will affect exactly those
issues.
I join the gentleman from Ohio. I hope he will join us in putting
together that legislation, voting on that legislation. That will do
about six things. First of all, deal with treatment so that we have the
most cost-effective treatment and available treatment in this country,
to start to deal with communities so that we have the prevention
programs that are important that we can deal with law enforcement, that
they have the tools to get the job done, that we can deal with the
borders, the Border Patrol, the INS, the Customs and those agents along
that so we have a coordinated effort, and that we can put a stop to
drugs moving across the border.
We also need to deal with the whole issue of foreign source drugs
coming into this country, and we also need to deal with the issue of
money laundering. We will show a strong initiative over the next 10
weeks, and I look forward to working with the gentleman from Ohio to
get that done.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois
for his comments and look forward to that challenge.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Reyes).
Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the
time.
I rise today to ask all of my colleagues to carefully look at what
this bill states. This legislation asks that all Members work
personally to mobilize all members of local communities in fighting
drugs and that the House will pass legislation to provide the necessary
resources to protect children and communities from the dangers of drug
addiction and drug-related violence.
I find it hard to imagine that anyone in this House would disagree
with the intent of this legislation, and I find it hard to imagine that
anyone would argue with the importance that this message sends.
Let me say this: It is time for this Congress to act in a bipartisan
manner and pass meaningful legislation to keep our communities free
from drugs and give our children the opportunity to live and learn in a
drug-free environment. We have all heard the staggering facts. More
than 50 percent of high school seniors have experimented with drugs.
The most likely cause of death for a 16-year-old is alcohol related.
America's demand for drugs each year is estimated at 5 billion. We as a
Nation have an obligation to do something about all of this. We as a
Congress have an obligation to do something about this specific issue.
We as parents have a duty to address and correct this serious problem.
Congress has before it an aggressive, comprehensive drug legislative
strategy. The Office of National Drug Control Policy or, as we know it,
ONDCP, unveiled the 1998 National Drug Control Strategy in February of
this year. For the first time the 1998 National Drug Control Strategy
set specific performance objectives for antidrug programs.
Under the national drug strategy, for each year over the next 10
years antidrug programs will be held accountable for meeting specific
performance goals. This is a bipartisan, aggressive, comprehensive plan
which will drastically reduce illegal drug use in our country.
Allow me to stress the fact that this plan reflects a bipartisan
consensus on drug control policy. As a former border patrol chief who
lived and worked on the border, I know the importance of cooperation
when combatting drug trafficking.
{time} 1500
There should never be an ``us'' versus ``them'' mentality when we are
trying to help keep our kids alive.
I urge all my colleagues to vote for this legislation and to take its
message to heart: Pass meaningful legislation to keep our streets free
from illegal drugs.
I have introduced legislation which will increase the number of
Customs and INS inspectors along our borders. This increase in manpower
will provide us with another tool to combat drug traffickers and their
relentless flood of narcotics into our Nation. This legislation will
also provide technology to allow us to detect illegal narcotics and
prevent those shipments from entering our communities and poisoning our
children.
I urge all of my colleagues to act in a responsible, bipartisan
manner and support the ONDCP plan and support this legislation that
will keep drugs off of our streets and away from our kids.
Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Arkansas (Mr. Hutchinson).
Mr. HUTCHINSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me
[[Page H3038]]
this time, and I particularly thank the gentleman from Illinois for his
excellent leadership on this issue in the war against drugs and
mobilizing Congress to take greater action.
I rise in strong support of this resolution expressing the sense of
Congress that all Americans must remain committed to combating the
distribution, sale and use of illegal drugs by our Nation's youth. Why
is this important? Because this war against drugs has to start with
leadership, and we in Congress must provide that leadership.
During recent weeks I have appeared in a town meeting in the small
town of Gentry in my district, a town of about 1,400 people, in which
they have had a number of youth that have been devastated by
methamphetamine, and they have been sent to drug rehab programs. So the
police chief and the mayor asked if I would come, as their Congressman,
and address this community because they wanted to do more.
I am going next week, or soon, to Waldron, another community with
more drug problems.
And so community after community is starting to recognize the danger
of drugs and the impact that it has not just in terms of statistics,
but in terms of the lives of our young people.
I am a former Federal prosecutor, but more importantly, I am a parent
who has had to raise teenagers during this very difficult time when
peer pressure is devastating our young people and driving them into a
life of drugs when they do not need to go that direction and know there
is a better way.
We are all familiar with the statistics. One study shows us that the
number of 4th to 6th graders experimenting with marijuana has increased
a staggering 71 percent between 1992 and 1997. Drug use among 12- to
17-year-olds has jumped 78 percent since 1992. And the statistics go on
and on.
We know that each of those statistics represents the lives of
individuals that are impacted, and this resolution shows a commitment
of this Congress that will be followed up with legislation that has
been outlined by the gentleman from Illinois. We start with that
commitment, and that commitment also carries from community to
community and shows those people in the communities that we should not
be cynical about the war on drugs, that we do intend to do something.
This Congress intends to do something. This Nation intends to do
something. That is why I believe this resolution is important, and the
legislation that will follow will back it up with meaningful action
coming from this body.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I
compliment the gentleman from Illinois.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman
from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton).
Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time.
Today the House will consider H.R. 423, a resolution to declare a war
on drugs to protect children. While this resolution is not binding, it
is important that we continue to express our commitment towards making
America drug free.
We should understand that we all have a responsibility and
opportunity and that we can, indeed, do more than this bill purports to
do, but this is an important first beginning.
Crime in our communities has reached an intolerable level. Drug-
driven crime, violent crime, is spiraling out of control, particularly
among juvenile offenders. The use of guns by young people against other
young people is alarming. Our children's futures are at risk, and they
put everyone else in the community at risk.
There can be no more urgent time to act than this moment now in
history. We can no longer postpone our responsibility in this. The drug
and crime problem touches every State, every city, every neighborhood
in the United States, both rural and urban.
According to the Children's Defense Fund, every 2 hours in America a
child is killed by firearms. Fifteen children will die today as a
result of gunshot wounds. And every 14 seconds a child is arrested.
North Carolina is no different as a rural State. Over the past 10
years, in our State, juvenile arrests have almost doubled from 11,165
in 1986 to 21,717 in 1996, a startling 93 percent increase.
And the numbers are far worse for violent crimes, weapons violations
and drug offenses. In North Carolina, violent crimes among juveniles,
murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, increased by 129 percent
over the past decade. Weapons violations increased by an incredible 492
percent and drug violation by an unbelievable 460 percent.
According to the Governor's Crime Commission, if the current trend
continues in North Carolina, over the next 10 years, juvenile crime
will again double and will reach a level that is three times higher
than adult crime. It is no wonder that many of our young people are now
planning their funerals rather than their futures.
Just as hard work and concentrated action have helped to curb crime
in our general community, the same kinds of effort must be focused to
make sure that we curb juvenile crime.
Some believe that the only key to juvenile crime can be found with
more locks. Others, like the Covenant with North Carolina's Children,
believe also that prevention plays a very important part in the answer.
Whatever we believe, we should join together to support this resolution
and continue our commitment.
The future is now. We must not waste time. We must act to curb crime
and we must do it while our young people still have a chance. We want
to give our young people a chance, make sure we listen to them, provide
opportunity for them to develop. Whatever we do, we should make sure
that we know that we have a responsibility.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of this resolution.
Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 15 seconds to say that I
associate myself with the statement of the gentlewoman from North
Carolina.
Seventy percent of all people in prison are there probably because of
drugs, 80 percent of our crime has a basis in drugs, and 75 percent of
all domestic violence is there because of either drug or alcohol abuse.
She is right on point.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/4\ minutes to the gentleman from Indiana
(Mr. Burton), a leader on our committee and the task force on drugs.
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to lend my support
to H. Res. 423, the sense of the House offered by my colleague, good
friend, and a great subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Illinois
(Mr. Hastert). I know he is one of the most tenacious Members of this
body when it comes to fighting drugs. He has been down to Latin
America, Colombia, several times.
I am proud to say that I have lent the gentleman my support in many
of his counternarcotics efforts. He is the leader of the Speaker's Task
Force for a Drug Free America, and I can think of no finer choice. As
such, he is also the congressional drug czar. He has led many of the
efforts and initiatives, along with the gentleman from New York (Mr.
Gilman), the chairman of the Committee on International Relations,
myself, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder), the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Stearns), the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica), the
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Shadegg), and others, which have caused the
Clinton administration and its Drug Czar, General McCaffery, to take
notice and to react to our proposals.
The facts are simple, Mr. Speaker: Our kids are dying on the vine and
the Clinton administration is looking the other way. There are nearly
20,000 drug-related deaths in our country every year. Vice President Al
Gore estimates that the annual societal cost of drugs in our country
exceeds $60 billion. Yet the administration's war on drugs is to treat
the wounded, spending more than $15 billion on domestic treatment,
prevention, and law enforcement, while spending less than $1 billion on
the source and transit zone operations where the drugs are grown and
transported to American streets and school yards.
Clearly, we should not cut the successful demand-side programs;
rather we should increase the supply-side efforts to a level which is
respectable, at a very minimum. The ambitious program of the gentleman
from Illinois (Mr. Hastert) will combine these efforts and produce a
well-thought-out, common-sense approach to winning the war on drugs.
The anecdotes are many, but I would like to highlight this one:
According to
[[Page H3039]]
the DEA, over the last 2 years there have been 35, count them, 35
teenage Colombian heroin overdose deaths in the Orlando, Florida, area
alone.
The proof is in the pudding, as Colombian heroin has taken over the
East Coast market, flooding it with cheap, extremely pure and deadly
heroin. Indeed, the DEA confirms that more than 65 percent of the
heroin seized on U.S. streets comes from Colombia. Yet the Clinton
administration is without a heroin strategy and has fought tooth and
nail to stop congressional efforts to combat this deadly problem which
is sweeping across every town, big or small, in the country.
Simply put: The Clinton administration refuses to acknowledge the
problem and accept Congress' solution. Clearly, Congress has the only
heroin solution and strategy.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, let me say I am proud to join my good friend
in his courageous efforts to provide the legislative avenue to win the
war on drugs. With an absence of leadership in the Clinton
administration on this issue, Congress must act now before we lose
another generation of American children to this deadly scourge.
I salute the gentleman's efforts and hope he will let me know how I
can help.
Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Gilman), chairman of the committee on oversight that has the
whole responsibility for overseeing drug operations.
(Mr. Gilman asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in strong support
of House Resolution 423 by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert),
who is the chairman of our House task force on drugs, and I am pleased
to cosponsor legislation reaffirming congressional support of fighting
and winning our war against drugs.
The threat posed by illegal drugs is one of the greatest national
security threats confronting our Nation. This is the cold truth:
Virtually all illegal drugs in our Nation come from overseas. And the
sooner we recognize that drugs are as much a foreign as a domestic
problem, the more effective our response will be.
While opponents argue we spend too much on combating drugs, I contend
they ignore the true cost of drug use in our society. In addition to
costs associated with supply and demand reduction, drug use costs our
Nation billions each year in health care expenses and lost
productivity. Moreover, it also has intangible costs in terms of broken
families, destroyed lives, many of whom are our young people.
As chairman of our House Committee on International Relations, I have
long been dedicated to enlisting the international community on
fighting the scourge of illegal drugs. Regrettably, as of late, this is
a battle which our Nation has not been winning.
During the 1980s we made remarkable progress in reducing drug use and
eliminating the view that drug use was socially acceptable. Between
1979 and 1992 there was a significant drop in ``past month'' drug users
from over 25 million down to 12 million. Our focus during that period
was twofold: It followed a dual track of simultaneously reducing both
supply and demand.
Regrettably, this administration sharply curtailed interdiction
funding and placed greater emphasis on demand reduction. The end result
has been a sharp increase in the supply of drugs available on our
streets, the highest purity levels ever encountered, and a resurgence
of teenage drug use. From 1992 to 1996, teenage marijuana use doubled.
More disturbing, though, is the data reporting a rise in heroin use
among our teenagers. Drugs killed over 14,000 Americans in the last 1
or 2 years.
In essence, this administration's policy of focusing on demand
reduction is being overwhelmed by the current state of the drug market.
With many of our cities literally awash in heroin, the drug dealers are
using supply to create demand.
{time} 1515
In order to effectively combat the problem of illegal drug use, we
are going to have to employ a balanced approach of reducing supply,
reducing demand, and doing it simultaneously. Our strategy, to be
effective, requires efforts from all levels of our government and
society and cooperation by the international community.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this worthy resolution
expressing our commitment to a drug-free America. For too long we have
had a disjointed approach in combatting illegal drug use. If we as a
Nation are willing to reduce use of tobacco, surely we should do the
same for combatting the use of illegal drugs.
Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining on
each side?
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bereuter). The gentleman from Illinois
(Mr. Hastert) has 5\1/2\ minutes remaining. The gentleman from Ohio
(Mr. Brown) has 7 minutes remaining.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Miller).
Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this
resolution which declares that we must win the war on drugs.
Drug use is a serious problem in America. Most parents do not realize
this, but over half of all high school seniors have admitted to using
an illegal drug in their lifetime. It gets worse. Overall, drug use
among 12- to 17-year-olds is up 78 percent since 1992, and marijuana
use is up 141 percent.
America has experienced an explosion in drug use during the last 6
years. And study after study shows shocking levels that were
unimaginable just a short decade ago. But these are not just
statistics. They are numbers with broken homes and broken lives and
destroyed futures.
In the last 5 years, we have lost the war on drugs. And I am saddened
by the lack of leadership from President Clinton. He has repeatedly
sent the wrong message. In his first year, he cut funding for the drug
czar's office. He reduced funding for drug interdiction. And Federal
prosecutions have dropped under this presidency. Keeping drugs out of
kids' hands is simply not a priority of this President.
We are losing too many children to drugs. It is time to send the
right message. America can win the war on drugs if we reverse the
present course and send a clear signal to our kids that we are
committed to a drug-free America.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. McCollum), who has been on the forefront in working on the
supply side reduction of drugs.
(Mr. McCOLLUM asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, we are here today to pass a resolution I
strongly support, and I hope every Member of this body does, calling on
legislation and an all-out effort to deter demand, stop supply, and
have increased accountability in an effort to really create a war on
drugs. We have not had that for a while.
Since 1992, we have seen the teenage drug use in this Nation double.
If this were anthrax coming into the country instead of drugs coming
out of Latin America, cocaine and heroin, we would be at war, literally
if not figuratively. We will be supplying the resources necessary to
reduce the supply of drugs coming in here as well as taking it to the
streets of this country with regard to law enforcement, community
efforts, demand reduction in our schools, and so forth. We do not have
the leadership right now to do that.
This Congress is committed now in this resolution to a course of
action to renew a war on drugs, to truly fight that war. First and
foremost, that means reducing the supply of cocaine and heroin and
other drugs entering this country by at least 80 percent over the next
3 or 4 years so that we can drive the price of drugs up.
There is an inverse proportion, all the experts say, to the price of
drugs. The greater they are, the lower the teenage drug use. We need to
do that in order to provide breathing room for our folks at home to be
able to do their job to get drug use among teenagers down.
On the other side of the coin, there are those who want to legalize
drugs. The most absurd thing, in countries that have done that, we have
seen double and triple the drug use among teenagers. Let us put the
children first. Let
[[Page H3040]]
us pass this resolution, and then let us go back and provide the
resources necessary to cut the supply of drugs by the necessary amount
coming into this country from aboard whatever ships, planes and flying
hours are needed, and get back on the streets doing our job.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Sessions), who is on the Speaker's drug task force.
Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding me
this time.
Mr. Speaker, once again it is my privilege to speak before this body
and to the American people. We cannot say enough how important the war
on drugs is. This Resolution 423 clearly expresses our sense to the
American people that no other victory other than the victory on the war
on drugs to protect our children is acceptable.
A few months ago, in the community of Lake Highlands, which is within
the Fifth District of Texas, we were ravaged by vandalism; and it turns
out that those perpetrators, those people who committed crimes, were
high on marijuana laced with methamphetamines.
It saddened me as a parent and also as a Member of Congress that our
communities are being invaded by those who desire to pollute our
children with killer drugs. We must act responsibly to address this
issue by deterring demand, stopping supply, and increasing
accountability.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert)
has 1\1/2\ minutes remaining.
Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Pappas).
Mr. PAPPAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for
yielding me the time, and I thank him for his leadership.
Mr. Speaker, this resolution states ``the House declares its
commitment to create a drug-free America.'' For the past two weeks, we
have adopted two bills, one resolution last week that I authored with
the very similar message focusing on young people in schools, and the
week before that a resolution dealing with the needle exchanges. Very,
very clear messages, very simple messages. And I have been very
disappointed back in my district in New Jersey, members of the media
have made light of it, have made light of statements that this House
and the vast majority of Members of this House have stated very clearly
that drug use is unacceptable and a drug-free America is a goal worth
fighting for.
I stand here very proudly in supporting this resolution by the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert), and I urge the members of the
media that they need to join in this fight, not make light of it, not
be cynical, not be skeptical, but that we all as Americans might speak
as one voice.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds.
I appreciate the debate today and the sincerity of my friends on the
other side of the aisle. I would hope that as we move on, and the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert) mentioned that there will be one
of these every week or so for the next 10 weeks, I hope that as we get
into more substantive debates and more substantive resolutions and more
substantive legislation, that we do go through the committee process
and work these through and are able to write, bipartisanly, together,
the most effective substantive legislation we can.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance
of my time.
Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the remainder of the time.
I wish to say, Mr. Speaker, that I appreciate the gentleman from Ohio
(Mr. Brown) joining with us today. This is, just as the gentleman said,
3 pages of pages. It is merely words. It is actions that the American
people want. It is the will of this country, it is the will of this
Congress to get things done. It is moms and dads and teachers and
preachers getting together and saying, ``We have had enough.'' On the
prevention side, it is doing our job to make sure our borders are
secure and the dollars go effectively to stop drugs flowing from other
countries into this country.
We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to this Congress, we owe it to the
American people; and most of all, we owe it to our children and
grandchildren. I ask for a positive vote on this legislation.
Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, drugs are no stranger to my
hometown of Plano, Texas. Since the beginning of last year, heroin has
claimed the lives of thirteen young people in my district.
Local police are working closely with community leaders and parents
to stop this terrible epidemic. The heart of their mission is not just
to stop the flow of drugs to these kids, but to get the word out that
drugs kill.
Because, you see, somewhere along the line, the message got lost.
Somewhere along the line, kids got the idea that drugs weren't that
bad. I guess that happens when even the President of the United States
jokes about it on M.T.V.
I've met with several law enforcement officials in Plano, and they
all tell me the same thing--help us get the word out. And that's what
we're doing here today.
This resolution sends a clear message to the President and to the
drug users of America that the good times end now. No more. We are
committed to ending the scourge of drugs in this country. And the
President had better get on board, or he's going to get left behind.
We will not stand by and watch the future of our country waste away
in a heroin haze. I owe it to the kids of Plano, Texas, just as the
rest of this House owes it to the kids in their district. I urge my
colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.
Res. 423 and to share with my colleagues my own experience in
Kentucky's Second Congressional District.
Last month, the Speaker's Task Force for a Drug-Free America unveiled
a plan to renew America's commitment to win the war on drugs.
As many of you know, our congressional agenda will focus on stopping
supply, increasing accountability, and deterring demand.
It is critical to protect our borders and to assist our federal,
state and local agencies in this war. But I believe the real battle
will be fought, and ultimately, won at the local level. This fight will
be led by parents and community leaders. And I think we in this Chamber
need to play an important leadership in this effort.
Recognizing this fact, I started the Heartland Coalition anti-drug
project. The goal is to activate grass-roots coalition groups in all 22
counties in my district. We want every young person in the Second
District to understand the dangers of drugs. These county groups are
made up of parents, teachers, community leaders and members of law
enforcement.
Since the Heartland Coalition was introduced last year, we have:
Held monthly meetings with the advisory council;
Established a directory that lists every organization interested with
combating drugs in each county; and
Hosted a law enforcement summit which brought together community
leaders involved in the anti-drug movement and law enforcement
professionals.
This fall we will focus on our youth. We will listen to teenagers
from all over my district to learn their concerns, fears and thoughts
on drugs.
There is still a lot more to do, but the overwhelming support I have
received from my constituents shows that we have taken a step in the
right direction.
So, the war on drugs will not be won from on-high in Washington but
in the hearts and homes of all Americans. H. Res. 423 is a pledge from
Congress we will stand ready to assist in this effort.
Again, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for H. Res. 423.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time has expired.
The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Illinois
(Mr. Hastert) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution, H. Res. 423.
The question was taken.
Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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