James Norton: “here is more veto bait. This is an attempt by the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Tiahrt) to do what he could not do last…”

“here is more veto bait. This is an attempt by the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Tiahrt) to do what he could not do last year and to do what he was not even able to do in the Committee on Appropriations, and that is to kill the program. It is a poison bill. It is designed to kill a program that is saving the lives of children, innocent children in the District of Columbia. Children do find needles, but the gentleman has no evidence that those needles come from the needle exchange program. They come from addicts where there are not, in fact, programs. The gentleman is not expert on how needles infect school children in the District, but the D.C. Police Chief Charles Ramsey does, and I am now quoting him from a letter he wrote the House, ``the current needle exchange program is well managed and has an exemplary return rate. I have no reports that indicate that the program has been abused in any way or created serious public policy problems in the District.'' I ask Members to listen to our police chief and not the gentleman from Kansas about what should happen in this city. This is a disease that has become a black and brown disease. It is killing African Americans. It is killing minorities. It has moved from gays to people of color. People of color see this directed against them. They know what saves lives, and those who vote for this amendment are voting to kill men, women, and children in my district.”