[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 38 (Thursday, March 30, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E461-E462]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             2000 EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. MAX SANDLIN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 29, 2000

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3908) making 
     emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year 
     ending September 30, 2000, and for other purposes:

  Mr. SANDLIN. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the 
Hutchinson amendment to H.R. 3908, The Emergency Supplemental 
Appropriations for FY 2000. This amendment represents a significant 
effort to combat the spread of methamphetamine production and 
trafficking across the nation.
  Mr. Chairman, the timeliness of this bill cannot be overstated. The 
use of methamphetamines is on the rise across the nation. According to 
the National Institute on Drug Abuse, methamphetamine use remains high 
and there is ``strong evidence to suggest this drug will continue to be 
a problem in west coast areas as well as other areas of the United 
States.''
  Methamphetamine, also known as crank, ice, crystal, and peanut 
butter, has been described as the ``cocaine of the 90's'' or the ``poor 
man's cocaine.'' It is equivalent to heroin in the 70's or cocaine in 
the 80's. And its popularity is not without reason. The attractions of 
meth are many, including increased alertness, weight loss, a general 
sense of well-being, a cheap price tag, and a more intense and 
prolonged reaction than cocaine can offer. However, the long-term 
effects of the drug are equally devastating and can include severe 
depression, brain and liver damage, stroke, insomnia, behavior 
resembling paranoid schizophrenia, malnutrition, and hallucinations, 
among others. Crank and ice are both extremely addictive and have 
increasingly become the illegal drug of choice, especially for women, 
throughout the western United States.
  Unfortunately, the dangers of meth extend far beyond those who 
consume the drug. As you may know, meth is made by a hazardous array of 
products, including ammonia gas and hydrochloric acid, which are both 
toxic and explosive when mixed. As a result, a meth lab can be a 
potential life threat to all who live near it. To make matters worse, 
anyone with access to the Internet can download a detailed, step-by-
step meth recipe. All of the ingredients needed to make the drug are 
easily accessible and can be bought in the supermarket.
  Although its roots are in the West coast, this epidemic has recently 
made its way to my home state of Texas. According to Drug Enforcement 
Agency (DEA) statistics, there were 175 seizures of methamphetamine 
labs in Texas by federal, local and state authorities in 1999. This is 
almost three times the number of labs which were seized in 1998. The 
use and manufacturing of methamphetamines is becoming a serious 
epidemic in Texas and needs to be dealt with in a comprehensive and 
aggressive manner.
  In order to actively address this problem, I support the Hutchinson 
amendment which would provide funding to assist state and local law 
enforcement agencies with the costs of methamphetamine lab clean-up. 
The DEA has been using FY 1998 and 1999 funds to assist with 
clandestine meth lab clean-up during this current fiscal year. However, 
these funds have been exhausted. The Hutchinson amendment uses $15 
million in unspent funds in the COPS program available for policing 
initiatives to combat methamphetamine production and trafficking. While 
I would prefer that the funds not be taken from the COPS program for 
this amendment, I am supportive of its purpose. It is time that we arm 
our law enforcement with funding to curb the manufacturing and 
trafficking of this highly destructive drug. Now is the time to 
aggressively attack this problem.

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