Dianne Feinstein: “I am, along with Senators Kyl and Grassley, proposing an amendment to the DOD authorization bill that will stop the…”

“I am, along with Senators Kyl and Grassley, proposing an amendment to the DOD authorization bill that will stop the Government from inadvertently contributing to the manufacture of controlled substances. Our amendment requires that no Federal department or agency may sell stockpiled chemicals until the Drug Enforcement Agency certifies that the sale of the chemical would not result in the illegal manufacture of a controlled substance. This problem was brought to my attention through a routine solicitation to sell iodine by the Defense National Stockpile Center. Earlier this year, Defense National Stockpile offered for sale, to the highest bidder, 450,000 pounds of crude iodine. Iodine is one of the main ingredients in methamphetamine. Defense National Stockpile had no idea that iodine was used in making meth, and therefore did not consult with the Drug Enforcement Agency regarding the practices of the companies that might purchase this iodine at rock-bottom prices. After consulting with DEA, at my request, the Defense National Stockpile chose to cancel the iodine sale. Had my staff not noticed this proposed sale, hundreds of thousands of pounds of iodine could be on its way to methamphetamine labs across the country--the lion's share probably in my State. I have been extremely concerned with the proliferation of methamphetamine due to the meteoric rise in hospitalizations and arrests from abuse.”