GROUPS OBJECT TO SOUDER DRUG COMMENT

Two national groups that help recovering alcoholics and drug addicts
are asking Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) to retract his description of
them as "drug legalization groups."

In a Nov. 1 "Dear Colleague" letter, Souder described the National
Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and the International
Nurses Society on Addictions, which oppose a Souder bill that would
penalize students convicted of using drugs, as favoring drug legalization.

In the letter, Souder defended his bill, and told other members it
was "facing assault by a small but determined coalition of
drug-legalization groups."

The two groups fired back in a letter issued Monday. "We, the
undersigned, want to make clear that opposition to the Aid
Elimination Penalty is not in any way dependent on support for broad
drug legalization," the letter said.

"We oppose the Aid Elimination Penalty for numerous reasons. It
primarily punishes poor students who rely on scholarships."

The 17 groups that signed the letter include the Council on
Alcoholism and the nurses group, as well as the American Federation
of Teachers and the Coalition of Essential Schools. The letter
concluded by asking Souder for a meeting to "discuss the issue
further, in the hope of finding common ground."

Souder's press office did not return calls asking whether the
lawmaker would agree to such a meeting.