ANTI-DRUG INITIATIVE

House Republicans will unveil this week anti-drug proposals that include
cutting off federally backed loans for students convicted of posessing or
trafficking drugs. The GOP also wants to double a $10 million program for
communities to devise anti-drug strategies, and implement a new program to
help small- and medium-sized business fight drugs in the workplace. There
also would be more money for more border guards and tougher penalties for
some drug crimes. Republicans plan a House vote Thursday on their proposal
to cut off federal money for any needle-exchange program. Federal money is
not used to buy clean needles, but the GOP plan would go further and deny
funding to organizations that use their own money to run needle-exchange
programs.