Political Quotes

“I commend Senator Leahy and Senator Hatch for their hard work on the Department of Justice authorization bill. This bill will strengthen our Department of Justice and increase our preparedness against terrorist attacks, prevent crime, and improve our intellectual property and antitrust laws. However, I am disappointed that the ecstasy provisions I sponsored in the Senate version were removed in the conference committee. These provisions would have directed the National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIDA, to continue researching and evaluating the effects of ecstasy on an individual's health and authorized money to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas, HIDTA, program for combating ecstasy use. I am concerned that ecstasy has become the 'feel good' drug of choice among many of our young people and drug pushers are marketing it as a 'friendly' and 'safe' drug to mostly teenagers and young adults. But we know this is not true. Just last week a new study conducted by researchers at John Hopkins University found that a single use of ecstasy could seriously harm the brain and put users at risk of damage that mimics Parkinson's disease.”