[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10963]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE DRUG POLICY COMMISSION ACT OF 
                                  2009

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 28, 2009

  Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, today, I am pleased to introduce the 
Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission Act of 2009, a bill that will 
create an independent commission to evaluate U.S. policies and programs 
aimed at reducing illicit drug supply and demand.
  Billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars have been spent over the years to 
fight the drug war in Latin America and the Caribbean. In spite of our 
efforts, since the early 1980s, the number of U.S. lifetime drug users 
has steadily risen for marijuana, cocaine and heroin. Clearly, the time 
has come to reexamine our counternarcotics efforts here at home and 
throughout the Americas. My bill will assess all aspects of the drug 
war--including prevention and treatment programs in the United States.
  Let me be absolutely clear that this bill has not been introduced to 
support the legalization of illegal drugs. That is not something that I 
would like to see, nor is it my intent to have the Western Hemisphere 
Drug Policy Commission come to that conclusion.
  While the United States accounts for approximately 5 percent of world 
population, in 2007, an estimated 17.2 percent of the world's users of 
illegal drugs were from the United States. 100 percent of the United 
States cocaine supply and 90 percent of the United States heroin supply 
originates in South America. In addition, the countries of Central 
America, the Caribbean and Mexico are key transit countries for drugs 
entering the U.S.
  The Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission will be charged with 
conducting a comprehensive review of U.S. illicit drug supply and 
demand reduction policies and will be required to submit 
recommendations on future U.S. drug policy to Congress, the Secretary 
of State, and the Director of the Office of National Drug Control 
Policy (ONDCP).
  To tackle our nation's horrific drug problem once and for all, we 
must have a better sense of what works and what does not work. Our 
partners in the Americas, who have worked closely with us in fighting 
the drug war for years, and the citizens of our great country, who deal 
every day with illegal drugs on their streets, deserve no less.

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