Political Quotes

“I support random drug tests, and I have voted for random drug tests for welfare and food stamp recipients--as recently, in fact, as last May in Senate vote 133. But the big distinction between that and what Senator Ashcroft is proposing here is that he is making it mandatory--and not providing the money to pay for it. We spent the first part of this Congress in 1995 debating the entire issue of unfunded mandates. And, here is an unfunded mandate. If this amendment had provided the funding or allowed States to do random drug tests, I would have supported it, as I have similar proposals in the past. But I cannot support this. Madam President, I support the right of States to require welfare recipients to submit to drug tests and to fulfill a commitment to remain drug free as a condition for receiving public assistance. Drug abuse is serious, and is all-too-often a heartbreaking problem, particularly among young people. And we have to attack it on as many fronts as we can. Just yesterday, I joined my friend and colleague, Senator Hatch of Utah, in introducing a bill to crack down on the manufacture and importation of methamphetamine, or crank. But whether a State chooses to combat drug abuse among welfare recipients through random testing and punishment, or through other methods of screening drug use and efforts to help people get off drugs permanently, is a decision that should be left to the States.”