[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 49 (Thursday, April 5, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S3541]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BAUCUS:
  S. 715. A bill to designate 7 counties in the State of Montana as 
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas and authorize funding for drug 
control activities in those areas; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. BAUCUS, Mr. President, I rise today to introduce critical 
legislation in the fight against methamphetamine use in rural America.
  Methamphetamine also known as ``meth'' is a powerful and addictive 
drug. Considered by many youths to be a casual, soft-core drug with few 
lasting effects. They couldn't be more wrong. Meth can actually cause 
more long-term damage to the body than cocaine or crack. The physical 
damage is just the beginning. The societal damage resulting from 
rampant meth use is incalculable. The damage caused ranges from broken 
homes to violent crime such as increased child abuse to a higher 
robbery rate.
  Meth use in Montana alone has skyrocketed in the past few years. 
During 1996, 1 meth lab was seized statewide, 4 in 1997, twelve in 
1998, 50 in 1999, 100 in 2000, and at least 150 expected this year. The 
DEA reported an increase of meth lab seizures in Montana of 900 percent 
from 1993 to 1998. And according to the Office of National Drug Control 
Policy, based on admission rates per 100,000 persons, Montana is one of 
the eight states with a ``serious methamphetamine problem.''
  The meth problem is particularly severe on Montana's Indian 
reservations, of which our state has seven. Life is hard there. In some 
reservation towns, over half of the working age adults are unemployed. 
Because meth is cheap and relatively easy to make, these lower-income 
individuals are a natural target for meth peddlers. Without viable 
employment options, too often these young people turn to drugs.
  So how does a rural state like Montana deal with such a scourge? The 
answer is not very well. The fact is, there are a good many talented 
Montanans working on the meth problem, but they have few resources with 
which to wage the battle. Fewer every day with no options for 
leveraging additional resources. Moreover, their efforts are often 
fragmented, not coordinated to the extent they could be, particularly 
among the treatment, prevention, and law enforcement communities. 
Again, it's simply an issue of scarcity of resources.
  To make their job easier, Montana has petitioned to be considered 
part of the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area 
(HIDTA). Although the Rocky Mountain HIDTA authorities have stated 
their willingness to include Montana in its organization, they lack the 
resources to make that happen.
  The bill I am introducing today would authorize funding to make 
Montana's admission to the Rocky Mountain HIDTA a reality. This 
legislation would provide Montana the resources to put forth a 
coordinated effort in the fight against meth in Montana. By admitting 
the seven counties included in the legislation, we begin to attack the 
scourge at its roots-where it enters the state and is the most 
problematic for meth use. In a perfect world, we could include all 56 
Montana counties, but I believe this is a good start. It will increase 
law enforcement and forensic personnel in Montana; coordinate efforts 
to exchange information among law enforcement agencies; and engage in a 
public information campaign to educate the public about the dangers of 
meth use.
  Mr. President, the time has come to fight this scourge. Montana is 
under siege by meth, and we must do all we can to continue our efforts 
to stop it.
           By Mr. SANTORUM:
       S. 716. A bill to amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
     Development Act to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to 
     make grants to nonprofit organizations to finance the 
     construction, refurbishing, and servicing of individually-
     owned household water well systems in rural areas for 
     individuals with low or moderate incomes; to the Committee on 
     Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

  Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the 
``Affordable Drinking Water Act of 2001.'' I am pleased to reintroduce 
this bill in the 107th Congress as I believe it sets out an innovative 
approach to meet the safe drinking water needs of rural Americans 
nationwide.
  The Affordable Drinking Water Act of 2001 provides a targeted 
alternative to water delivery in rural areas. Low to moderate income 
households who would prefer to have their own well, or are experiencing 
drinking water problems, could secure financing to install or refurbish 
an individually owned household well. In my home state of Pennsylvania, 
2.5 million citizens currently choose to have their drinking water 
supplied by privately-owned individual water wells.
  The approach envisioned under this bill would establish a partnership 
between the federal government and non-profit entities to administer 
grants to eligible homeowners for the purposes of: bringing old 
household water wells up to current standards; replacing systems that 
have met their expected life; or providing homeowners without a 
drinking water source with a new individual household water well 
system.
  Another important component of this legislation will afford rural 
consumers with individually owned water wells the same payment 
flexibility as other utility customers. Centralized water systems 
currently are eligible to receive federal grants and loans with 
repayment spread out over 40 years. The Affordable Drinking Water Act 
of 2001 would provide loans to low to moderate income homeowners to 
upgrade or install a household drinking water well now, and then repay 
the cost through monthly installments. This ability to stretch out 
payments over the life of the loan gives rural well owners an 
affordable option that they otherwise do not have.
  Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce this legislation today, and 
believe that it is appropriately balanced to meet the safe-drinking 
water needs of rural households.
                                 ______