THE WAR ON DRUGS

Following is the transcript of President Bush's statement on the
nomination of John P. Walters to be head of the Office of National Drug
Control Policy.

Speakers: George W. Bush, President of the United States

John P. Walters, nominated to be Director of Office of National Drug
Control Policy

BUSH: Thank you, please be seated. Thank you all so very much for being
here. It's an honor to see so many members of the United States Congress
who are here. Thank you so very much for coming, and members from both
political parties, members who are dedicated to joining with an
administration which is dedicated to reducing drug abuse around America.
Thank you for being here.

(APPLAUSE)

I'm pleased that members of my Cabinet have joined us--the attorney
general of the United States, John Ashcroft, the secretary of health and
human services, Tommy Thompson. Thank you all for being here.

(APPLAUSE)

Mr. Surgeon General, thank you for being here as well, sir. We're
honored to have you here.

(APPLAUSE)

Also with us is John J. DiIulio, who is the director of the Office of
Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. John is on the leading edge of
encouraging faith-based programs to become energized to help people who
need help. And John, thank you so much for being here as well.

(APPLAUSE)

I'm honored to be joined on stage by five Americans--well, six
Americans--five Americans who won't speak...

(LAUGHTER)

... which is saying something for the first American I'm going to
introduce, William J. Bennett...

(LAUGHTER)

BENNETT: Thank you, sir. Just a couple of words.

BUSH: Always a pleasure. He was our nation's first drug czar, former
secretary of education--a fearless, fearless fighter against drug
abuse--as well as Joe Califano, from the Center on Addiction and
Substance Abuse at Columbia University; former secretary of health,
education and welfare under President Jimmy Carter. As well, like Mr.
Bennett, a fearless advocate for those of us who are dedicated to
reducing drug abuse. Thank you both for being here.

(APPLAUSE)

And we have three members from the community, anti-drug communities who
have joined us. Arthur R. Dean is the chairman and CEO of the Community
Anti-drug Coalitions of America. Thank you so much for coming.
Appreciate you being here.

(APPLAUSE)

Jessica Halsey (ph) is a member of the Drug-Free Communities Advisory
Commission. Thank you, Jessica.

(APPLAUSE)

And Henry Lozano, Californians For Drug-Free Youth, member of the DFCAC,
a graduate from Teen Challenge.

(APPLAUSE)

I'm pleased to announce that, as of today, the federal government is
waging an all-out effort to reduce illegal drug use in America.

(APPLAUSE)

And I'm proud to nominate John P. Walters as my director of national
drug control policy, where he will serve as a valuable member of my
Cabinet.

(APPLAUSE)

Mr. Walters has had a distinguished career in government. He served as
the chief of staff to Bill Bennett and later served as deputy director
and acting director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

John will bring tremendous skill, knowledge and good judgment to this
job. He's an articulate advocate, an able administrator and a man of
deep and reasoned convictions.

He as repeatedly been called upon to provide guidance to the United
States Congress. John cares passionately about this issue and he is the
right person to lead America's anti-drug efforts. Our effort rests on
the firm belief that by focusing more of our nation's attention, energy
and resources, real progress will be made.

From the early 1980s until the early 1990s, drug use amongst high school
seniors was reduced every year. We had made tremendous strides in
cutting drug use. This cannot be said today. We must do and we will do a
better job.

(APPLAUSE)

Fortunately, today we know about what works in prevention and education,
treatment and law enforcement. We will put this knowledge to use, but
above all, our efforts rest on an unwavering commitment to stop drug
use.

Acceptance of drug use is simply not an option for this administration.
Illegal drugs impose a staggering cost of more than $100 billion every
year, principally from lost productivity. Yet, this dollar figure does
not capture the human tragedy of drug use--lost lives, educational and
job opportunities unmet, families torn apart, health care costs, school
drop-out rates and more.

Drug use harms people of every economic class, but drug use is doing the
most damage to the poor. John Jacob, former president of the National
Urban League, has said that drugs are destroying more children and more
families than poverty ever did. John Walters and I believe the only
humane and compassionate response to drug use is a moral refusal to
accept it. We emphatically disagree with those who favor drug
legalization.

(APPLAUSE)

Drug legalization would be a social catastrophe. Drug use and addiction
would soar; hospitals would be filled with many more drug emergency
cases; child abuse would increase; the cost of treatment and social
welfare would rise; there would be more drug-related accidents at work
and on the road; and legalizing drugs would completely undermine the
message that drug use is wrong.

A successful anti-drug effort depends on a thoughtful and integrated
approach. Mr. Walters understands this as well as anybody in America.
During his career, he's work to improve the effectiveness of drug
education and prevention programs. He played a key role in sharing a
record commitment of resources to drug treatment and research in
previous administrations. He help assure that the federal government did
its part in the source countries on our borders and on our streets.

My administration will continue to work with nations to eradicate drugs
at their source and enforce our borders to stop the flow of drugs into
America. This will make working in close cooperation with Mexico a
priority. It'll make having strong relations in hemisphere a priority, a
priority which I will keep.

(APPLAUSE)

However, the most effective way to reduce the supply of drugs in America
is to reduce the demand for drugs in America.

(APPLAUSE)

Therefore, this administration will focus unprecedented attention on the
demand side of this problem. We recognize that the most important work
to reduce drug use is done in America's living rooms and classrooms, in
churches and synagogues and mosques, in the workplace and in our
neighborhoods.

(APPLAUSE)

Families, schools, communities and faith-based organizations shape the
character of young people. They teach children right from wrong, respect
for law, respect for others and respect for themselves. They're
indispensable, and my administration stands ready to assist them in
every possible way.

Joe Califano is the president of the National Center on Addiction and
Substance Abuse and a man whose research has helped shape my thinking.
Joe has said that teens of parents who eat, talk, play and pray together
are not likely to be lured into the world of drugs. The child who
reaches age 21 without using illegal drugs is virtually certain never to
do so, and children cite parents as their under one reason they don't
use drugs.

And so we'll energize the parents movement by creating a parent drug
corps which will provide needed support to educate and train parents in
effective drug prevention.

(APPLAUSE)

We must increase funding for the drug-free communities program and for
the drug-free workplace program.

(APPLAUSE)

And within 30 days, Professor John DiIulio will compile a complete
inventory of existing federal anti-drug partnerships with local
faith-based and community groups and work with John Walters to
strengthen those efforts.

Despite every effort, however, some individuals will become addicted to
drugs. There are around 5 million hard-core users of illegal drugs in
America today, and while they represent one-third of the drug users,
they consume two-thirds of all drugs. It is estimated that more than
half of them are not receiving any treatment. I'm therefore asking
Secretary Tommy Thompson to conduct a state-by-state inventory of
treatment needs and capacity and report back within 120 days on how to
most effectively close the treatment gap in this country.

(APPLAUSE)

In order to close that treatment gap, we'll provide $1.6 billion over
the next five years. We want to advance our understanding of drug abuse
and addiction, so we're planning to significantly increase funding for
the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National
Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

We also recognize the benefits of coerced abstinence, and so we will
support drug courts and drug testing for prisoners, probationers and
parolees.

(APPLAUSE)

We know that inmates receiving drug treatment are 73 percent less likely
to be re-arrested and 44 percent less likely to use drugs than those who
receive no treatment at all. I'm therefore asking the attorney general,
John Ashcroft, to come up with a comprehensive plan within 120 days to
ensure our federal prisons are drug-free, to expand drug testing for
probationers and parolees, and to strengthen our system of drug courts
around the nation.

(APPLAUSE)

We must reduce drug use for one great moral reason, over time drugs rob
men, women and children of their dignity and of their character. Illegal
drugs are the enemies of innocence and ambition and hope. They undermine
people's commitment to their family and to their fellow citizens. My
administration will send a clear and consistent message that drug use is
dangerous and drug use is wrong.

(APPLAUSE)

John Walters will lead that effort with firm resolve and a caring heart.
He will do an exceptional job. I am proud to submit his name to the
United States Senate and I look forward to working with members of the
House and the Senate from both political parties to reduce drug use in
America.

(APPLAUSE)

I'm honored to welcome so many people who devote their lives to the
well-being of others to the Rose Garden here in the White House. I want
to thank you for your work and ask God's blessings on your work in this
great nation of ours. And it's my honor to welcome John Walters.

WALTERS: Thank you, Mr. President, for honoring me with this nomination.

I look forward to the confirmation process in the Senate and the
opportunity to work with Congress again in reducing the problem of
illegal drug use.

As the president has mentioned, our country has made great progress in
the past in reducing drug use, and we will do it again. We will
especially protect our children from drug use. We will help the addicted
find effective treatment and remain in recovery. We will shield our
communities from the terrible human toll taken by illegal drugs. And
we'll stop illegal drug use and the drug trade from funding threats to
democratic institutions throughout our hemisphere.

Most of all, Mr. President, as you have stated so clearly, and it's
symbolized by those with us here today who represent millions of
Americans working effectively every day to reduce drug use, addiction
and crime, our efforts rest on the knowledge that when we push back, the
drug problem gets smaller. This fact is beyond question today, even if
it is not always beyond denial.

Mr. President, thank you for nominating me to be director of the office
of national drug control policy at this important time. If the Senate
permits, it would be my privilege to support the outstanding individuals
represented here who work every day to combat the drug problem
throughout our nation.

Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: Good job, John.

Thank you all for coming.

WALTERS: Thank you, sir.

(APPLAUSE)

BUSH: Thank you.