[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.