U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) introduces amendment to kill the drug czar's office

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In March 2006, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) introduced an amendment to the ONDCP Reauthorization Act (HR 2829) that would have eliminated the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the home of the drug czar, over the next five years. While the amendment didn't pass, it received 85 "yes" votes (including 47 from Republicans). This is an encouraging development in MPP's ongoing campaign to fight funding for the drug czar's wasteful, misleading, and ineffective anti-marijuana campaigns.

The drug czar's office funds the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, which run ads featuring teenagers under the influence of marijuana committing violent crimes. The growing awareness of how misleading and ineffective ONDCP's anti-marijuana ads are is affecting the drug czar's bottom line. MPP has successfully lobbied to reduce funding for the Media Campaign to a record low of $100 million for fiscal year 2006. Since 2002, MPP's efforts to cut the program have helped achieve a reduction of $80 million (from $180 million in 2002 to $100 million in 2006)—44% over five years.

Rep. Paul's March amendment to phase out the drug czar's office altogether wasn't the first attempt to do so. In 2003, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) proposed a similar amendment to eradicate the drug czar's office. Although neither of these amendments passed, MPP has gained powerful allies in the fight against the ONDCP's wasteful spending.

Please visit MPP's federal action center to urge your representative to eliminate funding for the drug czar's office.

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) introduces amendment to kill the drug czar's office