[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 126 (Thursday, October 7, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10731-S10733]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. CANTWELL:
  S. 2934. A bill to combat methamphetamine abuse in the United States; 
to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the 
Confronting Methamphetamines Act of 2004.
  Methamphetamine, meth, use is growing exponentially in parts of our 
country and is spreading across the country at an alarming rate. We 
must act aggressively to attack the meth problem with a long-term 
commitment of resources or we will soon have a national drug crisis on 
the scale of an epidemic.
  Meth is an extremely dangerous and highly addictive drug. Individuals 
who use meth risk becoming addicted to this life-destroying drug with 
just one use. Meth use has ruined the lives of many people who prior to 
their addiction to meth were successful contributors to our society and 
our economy.
  Meth use triggers an avalanche of other problems for addicts' 
families and our communities. The use of meth is often linked to child 
abuse and the destruction of families. It contributes substantially to 
the perpetration of violent crimes, particularly burglary and crimes of 
substantial cost and personal pain to the victims, including identity 
theft. The stories I have heard about meth users are horrible--parents 
so focused on feeding their habit that they forget their children are 
right there with them, hungry, and without any love or care. Users 
become aggressive, violent and unstable. Often, the kids end up users 
as well.
  Sadly, our children are discovering meth, and the results will be 
devastating. According to a 2001 study by the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, nearly one in ten high school students have 
used meth. The statistics are clear: the problem is bad, and it's 
getting worse. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at 
Columbia University reports that while the proportion of teens who know 
users of LSD, cocaine, and heroin has dropped sharply from last year, 
the percentage of teens who know a user of methamphetamines has risen 
from 12 percent in 2003 to 15 percent this year.
  The devastation to our kids' lives is hitting our rural communities 
first. The Columbia University researchers also found that eighth 
graders living in rural America are 104 percent more likely to use 
amphetamines than eighth graders in urban areas.
  And meth is not just a health and social problem; it is also an 
enormous environmental problem. There are two types of local meth labs: 
so-called ``super-labs,'' which are capable of manufacturing large 
volumes of methamphetamines and clandestine labs set up by users to 
manufacture small amounts of the drug for personal use. These 
clandestine labs can be set up in the woods, in hotel rooms or even in 
the back seat of a car. They can be

[[Page S10732]]

set up anywhere, but are usually located where there is little traffic 
or population.
  These hazardous ``labs'' can go unnoticed for years, but they produce 
major chemical hazards and pose severe fire risk. Meth production 
generates extremely hazardous byproducts, such as anhydrous ammonia, 
ether, sulfuric acid, as well as other toxins that are volatile, 
corrosive, and poisonous. When these substances are illegally disposed 
of in rivers, streams and other dump areas, explosions and serious 
environmental damage can and does result. Our State and local 
environmental agencies are responsible to cleanup these hazardous sites 
and it is taking a toll on their resources.
  The use of meth is spreading rapidly from the western region of the 
United States across the rural Midwest and to the east. The spreading 
availability of methamphetamine is illustrated by increasing numbers of 
meth seizures, arrests, indictments, and sentences. And those numbers 
are rising across the country. According to the National Drug 
Intelligence Center, methamphetamine is widely available throughout the 
Pacific, Southwest, and West Central regions and is increasingly 
available in the Great Lakes and the Southeast.
  Similarly, the National Institute on Drug Abuse's Community 
Epidemiology Working Group reports that, in 2002, methamphetamine 
indicators remained highest in West Coast areas and parts of the 
Southwest, as well as Hawaii. Meth abuse and the crimes associated with 
it are spreading in areas such as Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, 
and Texas, as well as the East Coast and mid-Atlantic regions. This 
problem, once perceived as a ``western state'' problem, has become a 
nationwide problem, growing at an extraordinary rate.
  My State has shown that a cooperative effort--law enforcement working 
side-by-side with those handling cleanup, intervention, treatment, 
child and family support, drug courts and family drug courts, and 
education--is effective at addressing this problem. Thanks to the 
Washington Methamphetamine Initiative and the ``Methamphetamine Action 
Teams,'' multi-disciplinary teams situated in each county across the 
State, meth production was cut back by 25 percent last year. Washington 
State has dropped from second in the Nation to sixth in the production 
of meth. The comprehensive, holistic approach my State has taken to 
combat meth is working well, and I believe that our program can be a 
model for the national fight.
  By making intervention, treatment and family support as important as 
arrests and prosecution, we are effectively overcoming the secondary 
problems that meth creates by addressing the root causes, not just the 
social symptoms. By taking this approach we are not simply growing 
prison populations and pushing the problem to regions not previously 
impacted by meth, but attacking the growth of the use of this terrible 
drug.
  We in Washington State have also learned that laws restricting the 
sale of large quantities of precursor drugs such as ephedrine make it 
more difficult for users to produce meth, and this tactic has reduced 
the number of clandestine labs in the State.
  This approach to fighting meth use has been very successful, but it 
takes money. And although there has been an explosion in the use of 
meth, Federal funding has been cut. Each year, States with a growing 
meth problem are required to go through a politicized process seeking 
Federal funding through the earmark process. And each year, the funds 
are being cut.
  These challenges to our States mean only one thing: we need to make 
funding to combat meth permanent. Permanent Federal funding support for 
meth enforcement and clean-up is critical to the efforts of State and 
local law enforcement to reduce the use, manufacture and sale of meth.
  That is why I am introducing the Confronting Methamphetamines Act of 
2004. This bill will create a supplemental grant to augment the 
Department of Justice's Byrne Formula Grant Program to provide block 
grants to help States confront their meth problems.
  Under my bill, States will be able to apply for a formula grant if 
they meet two prerequisites: the State must have a comprehensive, long 
term plan to address methamphetamine use, manufacture and sale; and the 
State legislature must commit to enacting laws to limit the sales of 
precursor products (the commercially available products used to make 
meth, such as ephedrine). Where a State has met these two requirements, 
that State will be eligible to receive a Federal formula grant.
  States have discretion as to how to use the funds. The activities 
funded may include arrest, lab seizures and clean up, child and family 
support services, community based education, awareness and prevention, 
intervention, treatment, Drug Court and Family Drug Court, community 
policing, the hiring of specially trained law enforcement, State and 
local health and environmental department support, and prosecution.
  The Confronting Methamphetamines Act also provides for planning 
grants, $100,000 per State, so States can develop long-term strategies 
to address meth. We have seen in Washington and in other States that 
comprehensive plans to address all aspects of meth--from use to 
manufacture to sale--have the best and most efficient results. Through 
this provision, I want to encourage States to consider the long-term 
situation when they take the initial steps in combating meth.
  To assure that the best practices to confront meth deployed in our 
local communities are shared across the country, my bill requires the 
U.S. Attorney General to collect data, to establish a national 
clearinghouse for best practices in addressing the meth problem, and to 
provide technical assistance to States or local agencies.
  Like the Byrne Formula Grants, distribution to eligible States will 
be based on State population. The supplemental allocation to an 
eligible State will be no less than the base amount of $250,000 or 0.25 
percent of the amount available for the program, whichever is greater, 
with the remaining funds allocated to the other eligible States on the 
basis of the state's relative share of total U.S. population.
  The bill authorizes $100 million per fiscal year 2005 and 2006, 
elevating the funding to $200 million for the subsequent three years, 
assuring that the funds are available as the meth problem grows and 
more States become plagued by the problem of meth.
  I have received letters supporting this legislation from the 
Fraternal Order of Police, National Association of Drug Court 
Professionals, the Police Executive Research Forum, the Washington 
State's Governor's office, representing State law enforcement, 
environmental protection, health and human services and the Washington 
State Methamphetamine Initiative, and the Pierce County Alliance, 
essentially the epicenter of Washington State's response to 
methamphetamines. These letters reflect the level and breadth of 
concern for our law enforcement, drug addiction care providers, the 
courts and environmental protection agencies.
  We have to give a strong signal to the State and local governments 
that we recognize the meth problems that they are facing, we are 
committed to support long-term comprehensive strategies to confront the 
problem, and will assure availability of substantial federal funds to 
help confront this startlingly rapidly growing problem.
  This legislation assures the funding and continuity of Federal 
support desperately needed by our State and local governments. It 
assures that States have the opportunity to develop a long-term 
comprehensive strategy to combat meth, and gives those on the front 
lines in this battle the flexibility to use the federal dollars as they 
see fit, consistent with their long-term plan. I urge the Senate to 
support this bill and plan to work aggressively with the other body to 
bring it into law as promptly as possible.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the four letters of 
support be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the additional material was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                      National Association of Drug


                                          Court Professionals,

                                  Alexandria, VA, October 6, 2004.
     Re Confronting Meth Act of 2004.

     Hon. Maria Cantwell,
     U.S. Senate, Hart Senate Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Cantwell: I am writing this letter in support 
     of the Confronting

[[Page S10733]]

     Meth Act of 2004 on behalf of the entire drug court field and 
     the professionals and clients we serve. As active workers in 
     the areas of treatment, law enforcement and the judiciary, we 
     see the devastation of methamphetamine use. We understand the 
     debilitating effect meth has on its users and the 
     overwhelming impact it has on families and communities. Our 
     members contact us weekly and describe in detail the special 
     challenges that accompany addiction to meth and the 
     additional resources needed to meet these challenges. It is 
     important that communities all over the country have an 
     avenue to address this issue. The Act has the unique ability 
     to equip states with that ability.
       The funding formula that is proposed will encourage local 
     solutions to a problem that differs from jurisdiction to 
     jurisdiction. The Act also lends itself to a multi-faceted 
     approach to a pervasive challenge. We wholly support this 
     legislation and pledge the expertise of our organization to 
     its passage and implementation. Thank you for your vision in 
     introducing this important legislation.
           Sincerely,
                                Judge Karen Freeman-Wilson (ret.),

     Chief Executive Officer.
                                  ____


                                                       Grand Lodge


                                    Fraternal Order of Police,

                                  Washington, DC, October 6, 2004.
     Hon. Maria Cantwell,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Cantwell: I am writing on behalf of the 
     membership of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of 
     our support for legislation you intend to introduce entitled 
     the ``Confronting Methamphetamine Act.''
       The bill creates a supplemental grant program at the U.S. 
     Department of Justice for States that develop a 
     comprehensive, long-term plan to address the use, 
     manufacture, and sale of methamphetamines, and has enacted or 
     will enact a law to limit the sale of precursor products that 
     are used to make this dangerous drug. States that meet this 
     criteria will be able to apply for funds to fight the growing 
     problem of methamphetamines and will have discretion as to 
     how to use the funds, be it for community policing, lab 
     seizures and clean up, awareness and prevention, 
     intervention, treatment, and prosecution. The bill authorizes 
     $100 million for the program in fiscal years 2005 and 2006, 
     and then elevates the funding to $200 million for the 
     subsequent three years.
       Law enforcement needs additional resources to fight the 
     spread of methamphetamine abuse, and the bill you intend to 
     introduce will do just that. The F.O.P. welcomes the 
     opportunity to work with you and your staff on this 
     legislation. If we can be of any further assistance, please 
     do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco 
     through my Washington office.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Chuck Canterbury,
     National President.
                                  ____

                                                  Police Executive


                                               Research Forum,

                                                  October 7, 2004.
     Hon. Maria Cantwell,
     Hart Senate Office Building,
     U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Cantwell: On behalf of the Police Executive 
     Research Forum (PERF), a national organization of police 
     executive professionals who collectively serve more than 50 
     percent of the nation's population, I would like to thank you 
     for your continued leadership on law enforcement and public 
     issues. The men and women of law enforcement face tremendous 
     challenges in combating the manufacturing, trafficking, sale, 
     and use of illicit drugs, as well as drug-related violence 
     and crime in our streets, PERF commends your efforts to 
     introduce effective legislation to help provide law 
     enforcement with the resources to reduce the presence of 
     methamphetamine drugs and laboratories across the nation, and 
     to investigate and prosecute the criminals who corrupt our 
     children and endanger our communities.
       The Confronting Methamphetamine Act of 2004 presents a 
     comprehensive, cooperative, multi-agency approach to 
     addressing the methamphetamine problem in the United States, 
     and PERF believes this to be the best course of action for 
     achieving long-term solutions. It is crucial to involve 
     federal, state, local, and private entities in this fight, 
     and to supplement that fight with grants that will enable law 
     enforcement, prosecutors, treatment facilities, and 
     community-based organizations to carry out their respective 
     missions effectively.
       PERF members see first-hand the ravaging effect that 
     methamphetamine and other illicit drugs have on communities 
     nationwide. They recognize and applaud your efforts to 
     provide them with the resources to attack this problem head-
     on. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to 
     contact PERF Legislative Director Martha Plotkin at 
     [email protected] or PERF Legislative Assistant Steve 
     Loyka at [email protected]. I look forward to working 
     with you and your staff on this legislation.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Chuck Wexler,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____

                                              State of Washington,


                           Governor's Executive Policy Office,

                                     Olympia, WA, October 5, 2004.
     Senator Maria Cantwell,
     Hart Senate Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Cantwell: On behalf of members of the 
     Governor's Methamphetamine Coordinating Committee, I am 
     writing to thank you for your continued support of 
     Washington's comprehensive strategy to reduce methamphetamine 
     trafficking and use. You have been a champion for funding 
     over five years, and I appreciate your willingness to 
     introduce legislation establishing an ongoing federal grant 
     program for this purpose.
       Your proposed ``Confronting Methamphetamines Act'' would 
     help states like Washington implement effective strategies 
     including prevention, law enforcement, treatment, services to 
     affected children and families, and cleanup. It would 
     recognize the need for multi-disciplinary coalitions, local 
     and tribal involvement, and state laws restricting the sale 
     of precursor chemicals. It would provide planning grants to 
     help states develop strategies, as well as larger grants for 
     implementation.
       I appreciate the chance to work with your staff in 
     developing this legislation. It deserves broad support among 
     members of Congress from the many states where the 
     methamphetamine epidemic has spread. Our Methamphetamine 
     Coordinating Committee members look forward to working with 
     your office as the bill is considered. Thank you again for 
     your leadership and support.
           Sincerely,
                                           Richard D. Van Wagenen,
     Executive Policy Advisor.
                                  ____



                                       Pierce County Alliance,

                                        Tacoma, WA, June 17, 2004.
     Senator Maria Cantwell,
     Hart Senate Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Cantwell: On behalf of the Pierce County 
     Alliance and the Washington State Methamphetamine Initiative, 
     I want to express my sincere appreciation for your 
     outstanding support and efforts to bring about the essential 
     funding that makes our efforts possible. Your work has been 
     crucial to the continuance of the battle to abate the 
     methamphetamine crisis in our state.
       Of course, I also fully endorse and support your 
     sponsorship of the ``Confronting Methamphetamines Act of 
     2004'' that would further assist states like ours to deal 
     with the multi-faceted problems of methamphetamine 
     production, distribution, and use. I am pleased to note that 
     it builds on the model that we have evolved here in 
     Washington State, encompassing a multi-disciplinary approach 
     with broad collaborations at all governmental levels and 
     across all social sectors. Please do not hesitate to contact 
     me if I can be of any assistance in this endeavor.
       Again, my thanks to you for your continued leadership and 
     support on this critical issue.
           Sincerely,
                                            Terree Schmidt-Whelan,
                                               Executive Director.
                                 ______