WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) released the following statement today after voting in favor of the National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Reauthorization Act, which passed the House by a 399 to 5 vote.
"This important and necessary bill is critical to ensuring that we have the programs and resources to effectively address the tragic ills that drug abuse inflicts on our children, our families, and our communities.
"I have had a long history with this issue dating back to my work as Chairman and Ranking Member of the then-Treasury-Postal Appropriations Subcommittee, and I have always advocated for implementing a comprehensive drug strategy that invests in adequate prevention, treatment, and interdiction.
"We need all of these to combat the plague of drug abuse and drug trafficking, and this bill gets it right in many ways. It makes clear that the federal government should be an equal partner with state and local law enforcement agencies, by preserving and strengthening the High Intensity Drug Areas (HIDTA) program, authorizing a significant $1.2 billion over a four year period.
"We know that the current HIDTA model is one that works, and this bill will allow that model to keep working to abate the drug threat from federal corridors to the front lines in our towns and cities. I also applaud the investment that this bill makes in effectiveness and accountability in drug treatment programs.
"For the first time, this bill requires an evaluation system to measure the success of drug treatment programs. Once we know what works, we can do what works, and in matters of drug prevention, drug treatment, and drug interdiction this bill gets us doing just that."