Speech by Rep. Nita Lowey (D-New York), March 29, 2000

Speech by Rep. Nita Lowey (D-New York), March 29, 2000
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words.

Mr. Chairman, with great respect to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Callahan), our distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs, and with appreciation that we were able to work together to get the $10 billion into this account; however, I would just like to remind my colleagues that, although we have made progress in investing in this account, 37 percent, only 37 percent of the estimated 5.7 million Americans in severe need of substance abuse treatment are taken care of, 37 percent.

[TIME: 1615]

Thirty-seven percent. So I just want to commend my colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), for bringing attention to this critical need in our country.

It is very disappointing that she was not allowed to offer her amendment as she offered it into the committee, because I do believe that we need an aggressive drug control strategy. We all know that substance abuse is a critical and persistent problem facing every community in our Nation. It has an incredibly difficult impact, as we know, on our families, public safety, employment, productivity. And while we know treatment works, let us remember again that there are 3.6 million people in severe need of substance abuse treatment that cannot get access to it. I see it all over the district. We must have better systems if we are to help those who need help today and as we reach out to millions of today's youth reaching a vulnerable age.

I want to repeat it again, although the gentlewoman from California referred to the Rand Corporation study, which found that funds spent on domestic drug treatment were 23 times, 23 times, more effective than source country control, 11 times more effective than interdiction, and 7 times more effective than law enforcement in reducing cocaine consumption. So the strategy that the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) is talking about works. It is common sense and it is long overdue.

I commend my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for supporting the $10 billion, but we have not done nearly enough, and I would hope that we can support the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) and direct these additional dollars to substance abuse control.

As of March 30, 2000, this document was also available online at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r106:H29MR0-173: