Speech by Del. Donna Christensen (D-Virgin Islands), March 29, 2000

Speech by Del. Donna Christensen (D-Virgin Islands), March 29, 2000
[Page: H1537]
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. I, too, rise in strong support of the Pelosi amendment, which would add vital drug prevention and treatment dollars to the emergency supplemental budget.

I cannot remember how long this war against drugs has been going on, but it has been a long, long time. And despite some reports to the contrary, in too many places in this country, we are losing.

I do not necessarily have a problem with appropriations to fight drugs in Colombia or anywhere else and to address the need for increased interdiction. But to do this alone is to employ the same one-sided, near- and short-sighted approach that has not worked through all the plans and in all the years that we have been trying to stem the tide of drugs and stop the scourge of drugs in this country.

Mr. Chairman, I have had the opportunity to meet and speak with leaders in my part of the world, the Caribbean, on many occasions, and in almost every instance, the issue of drug transshipment and urgings for them to keep their commitment strong in addressing it is always an important part of the conversation.

Do you know what they say to us?

They assure us of their commitment. They do not want what the transshipment does to their countries, and they do not want the risks it presents to their people. They want to stop the flow of drugs in and through their countries.

But they also say to us that the greatest obstacle to stopping the flow is the ready and the large market for the product. It is simple economics, supply being developed to meet a sustained and increasing demand. And I support the Pelosi amendment, because it is only through addressing demand, as well as interdiction, that we will ever win this ongoing war.

I support this amendment for an even more important reason, because we have not adequately addressed poverty, failing schools, poor or no housing and other critical issues facing communities around this country, especially communities of color, drugs; and because of them, HIV and AIDS have taken hold of these communities and threaten to drain the very life blood from our neighborhoods.

In those communities, people want to rid themselves of the illness of addiction. They want treatment, and parents want to help to keep their growing children from being consumed by drugs and AIDS, but they cannot get into treatment.

And the programs to help our kids and divert our children's energies into positive ways are just not available. The Pelosi amendment would change that, and that is why I support it.

We need to provide funding not just to rid our communities and the country of drug-related crime, but we need it to heal those who have fallen prey to addiction to illicit drugs. And we need it to heal our communities and to make them whole.

I thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), for her leadership. And I thank all of the others who have spoken in favor of this amendment and in favor of the many in this country who need our voices to speak out on their behalf.

I urge the rest of my colleagues to support the Pelosi amendment and to vote yes.

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