Benjamin Gilman: “the fiscal year 1997 Treasury, Postal Service Appropriations bill, would have cut the critical personnel levels for the…”

“the fiscal year 1997 Treasury, Postal Service Appropriations bill, would have cut the critical personnel levels for the Office of National Drug Control Policy [ONDCP] by $2.2 million, from the President's original staffing level request. While overall providing more monies than the administration originally requested for fighting drugs for ONDCP, the bill unwisely eliminated $2.2 million from ONDCP salaries. This would have forced the office to do without 25 critical full-time employees [FTE's] needed to coordinate our Nation's battle against drugs. The battle against drugs in recent years has not progressed as well as many of us in the Congress hoped for under the Clinton administration. This is particularly evident in the alarming, soaring drug use we have all witnessed since 1992, especially among our young people. The rise in drug abuse followed some Clinton administration initial efforts in 1993 to diminish the role of ONDCP in the government-wide struggle against drugs, and a very unwise cut of 80 percent of the staffing for ONDCP. I am pleased by Chairman Lightfoot's amendment to restore full funding for ONDCP staffing when a satisfactory staff plan is submitted, and I support that effort. We ought not deny the newest ONDCP Director, General Barry McCaffrey the full staffing he needs, requested, and that we have previously provided for his office.”