WINNING THE WAR ON DRUGS

The time has come for the drug war to enter a new, winnable stage. This is
a war that has consumed the nation, with varying degrees of success, for
nearly three decades. In the 1980s, following the leadership of Nancy
Reagan and the effective, unequivocal "Just Say No" campaign, illegal drug
use declined year after year.

In the '90s however, as the messages from the White House and the media
became more ambiguous, drug use has increased-especially among the most
vulnerable, our young people. We have reached a moment when a majority of
all high school seniors admit they've tried an illegal drug. In 1992, 40.7
percenthad used an illicit drug; by 1997, the number had jumped to 54.3
percent.

Today, the Republican Congress declares that we are as committed to
creating a drug-free America as we were in passing the Contract With
America three years ago. There is a simple yet essential reason for the
intensity of our commitment: Unlike other conlicts in which this nation has
been engaged, the war on drugs is at essence a comprehensive, all-out fight
to protect oour children.

Some people are convinced that the war cannot be won. The naysayers suggest
that "It's all been done before" or "It's all been said before." However,
these were many of the same people who threw up their hands when facing
three decades of unbalanced budgets. They thought that the goal of a
balanced budget was a fantasy. In 1994, Republicans ran on a contract that
said, given the chance, we could make a balanced budget a reality. As a
result, not only do we have a balanced budget, we now have a budget surplus.

The Republican Congress believes that legislative commitment combined with
the good will and efforts of the American people are a force that can rise
to any challenge. Creating a drug-free America is a goal for a generation-a
long-term focused strategy. It should be, must be, the number one priority
of all concerned Americans. The war on drugs is ultimately a fight for our
children: They are our future. Drug abuse is a modern day plague that tears
apart families as it steals the innocence of youth. Without a coherent
policy to protect them from the evils and devistation of drug abuse, we
abandon them and put our country at risk.

This campaign will be fought on three major fronts: Deterring demand;
stopping supply; and increasing accountability.

Deterring Demand: Nine out of 10 people believe solving our drug crisis is
an urgent issue. Yet, we must educate and further engage Americans on the
nature of this problem. The deployment began with a vote April 30 on the
Drug-Free America Blue Ribbon Campaign Resolution. It spells out clearly
the extent of the drug problem and designates a week in September as Blue
Ribbon Week. During this week, all Americans are encouraged to wear a blur
ribbon to heighten awareness of the drug crisis and become volunteers in
the fight for our children. In addition to the concrete legislative action
to control the poisons flooding our streets, the American people must have
the essential information to face this crisis.

The Drug-Free Workplaces Act will help small and medium businesses
implement drug-free workplace programs that will enhance productivity and
quality of life. The Drug-Free Congressional Leadership Resolution will
strongly encourage all members of Congress to follow the lead of 76 of
their colleagues who have created community anti-drug coalitions. We will
build on our success with the Drug-Free Communities Act by doubling our
investment at the local level to $20 million.

Stopping Supply: Americans clearly see interdiction as the top priority
foreign policy issue, a higher priority than either illegal immigration or
terrorism. Responding to that concern the Congress will pass the Drug-Free
Borders Act that establishes severe criminal penalties for those who use
violence againstcustoms officers at our borders. It increases the penalties
for making false statements when declaring goods into the U.S. The
Drug-Free Hemisphere Act will authorize the creation of international law
enfoecrment academies, allows U.S. law enforcement to train anti-drug
police abroad, and also authorizes non-lethal counter-narcotic assistance
abroad.

Increasing Accountability: Accountability must start at the top. Federal,
state and local agencies must be empowered to win the war on drugs and be
held accountable for their actions. The American people must have greater
information to judge for themselves how well the fight for their children
is going. Thus, for the first time in history, federal funding will be tied
to specific drug reduction goals set by Congress. The targets include
reducing nationwide drug use by more than 50 percent by 2002 to reducing
the percentage of all Americans using drugs from today's figure of 6.1
percent to less than three percent. This measure will require greater
coordination of efforts among the 54 federal agencies receiving anti-drug
funding and so will give the drug czar oversight of all of them.

The Republican Congress and the Speaker's Task Force for A Drug-Free
America believe that these and other ant-drug measures we will vote on this
spring are, collectively, the most signifigant pieces of legislation that
Congress has considered since the Contract With America. Drugs themselves
are "gateways" to so many other societal ills: violent crime, spousal and
child abuse, and sexual assult. If we care about our children and about
ourselves, there cannot be a more important undertaking for the future.

This is not some pipe-dream. We can win the war on drugs. We can save our
children. The American people demand it. Congress is committed to it. Our
young people deserve it. We now ask only that the president and the
administration pledge their unequivocal support.

Checked-by: Richard Lake