    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book I)]
    [April 29, 1997]
    [Page 512]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on U.S. Sentencing Commission Action on Penalties for
    Drug Offenses
    April 29, 1997

        I commend the Sentencing Commission for moving forward with
    recommendations to Congress to reduce the disparity between crack and
    powder cocaine penalties. My administration will give them very serious
    consideration. I have asked Director McCaffrey and Attorney General Reno
    to review the recommendations and to report back to me in 60 days. I
    look forward to working with the Congress on this issue.
        In October 1995, I signed legislation disapproving the Sentencing
    Commission's recommendation to equalize penalties for crack and powder
    cocaine distribution by dramatically reducing the penalties for crack. I
    believe that was the wrong approach then and would be the wrong approach
    now.
        Current law creates a substantial disparity between sentences for
    crack and powder cocaine. This disparity has led to a perception of
    unfairness and inconsistency in the Federal criminal justice system.
        The sentencing laws must continue to reflect that crack cocaine is a
    more harmful form of cocaine. The Sentencing Commission's new
    recommendations do so. Trafficking in crack, and the violence it
    fosters, has a devastating impact on communities across America,
    especially inner-city communities. Any change in penalties must ensure
    that more dangerous offenders receive tougher sentences.
        As I have stated before, however, some adjustment to the cocaine
    penalty structure is warranted as a matter of sound criminal justice
    policy. Federal prosecutors should target mid- and high-level drug
    traffickers, rather than low-level drug offenders. An adjustment to the
    penalty scheme will help ensure this allocation of resources and make
    our Federal efforts in fighting drugs more effective. That is why the
    legislation I signed directed the Sentencing Commission to undertake
    additional review of these issues and to report back with new
    recommendations.
        I am also pleased that the Sentencing Commission has increased
    penalties for methamphetamine offenses pursuant to the legislation which
    I signed into law last year. This law asked the Commission to toughen
    penalties on this emerging drug to prevent the kind of epidemic we saw
    in the 1980's with cocaine use. We will carefully study these new
    penalties.
        My administration has fought to stop drug abuse and its destructive
    consequences. Overall, drug use in the United States has fallen
    dramatically--by half in 15 years. And cocaine use has dramatically
    decreased since the high point in 1985--the number of current cocaine
    users is down by 74 percent over the last decade. While these are
    encouraging figures, I am fully committed to doing more to keep bringing
    drug use down--particularly among our children.