Political Quotes

“I have had young people and other people who were opposed but most of the young people who come in my office support drug testing. They would like to see that down pressure on their friends who are struggling with the decision-making process. Several years ago I was discussing this issue with a radio commentator on a big city talk radio program. He was making fun of me, according to the people who were listening to the station, prior to me coming on, that we are going to talk to the Congressman that wants our kids to fill a cup with urine and just was kind of making light of it. At the end of that discussion that day after I was off, one of my staff was listening, he said, you know, I was pretty opposed to this idea, but after the discussion, if I had a 12- or 14-year-old boy, and I don't, would I want testing or would I not and he had a long pause and he said, you know, I think the Congressman convinced me. Just the matter of having a discussion. We have other tests. We have the hair test, which I think is one of the best because it reaches back. If you tested in September, you know the activity for months before, because the hair holds the drug. You have saliva tests, you have sweat tests, of course you have the blood tests, the urine tests. There is lots of testing today. One of the deterrents to schools doing it is the cost, especially in a small rural school district with there is not much extra cash to go around.”