James M. Jeffords: “I share the concern of my friend, the Senator from Georgia, about the urgency of improving the effectiveness of our…”

“I share the concern of my friend, the Senator from Georgia, about the urgency of improving the effectiveness of our anti-narcotics efforts. The threat of international drug trafficking is very real and our efforts to combat it must become more effective. I agree with many of the Senator from Georgia's criticisms of the current program and believe that significant improvements must be made in the results of our anti-drug program. The bill before us provides a 40 percent increase in funding for these programs, reflecting the committee's concern that there must be a strong response to the escalation of narcotics trafficking. This is a significant increase that will allow considerable expansion of U.S. efforts abroad. Yet, the amendment before us would shift an additional $53 million to the counter-drug account. These funds would come from a $25 million cut in the International Operations and Programs account and a $28 million cut in development assistance.”