Senator Harkin Statement On Bush Speech Touting Results Of Research On Teen Drug Addiction

December 11, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today made the following statement in response to President Bush’s speech discussing the results of the Monitoring of the Future Survey, commissioned by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), showing a drop in teen drug abuse except in the cases of prescription painkillers like OxyContin and Vicodin. Harkin’s health and education appropriations subcommittee funds NIDA.

“It’s sad that the President would choose this moment to propose a funding cut for the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the agency that paid for the Monitoring the Future study and leads the federal government’s efforts on drug abuse research.

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The 2008 funding bill that the President vetoed would have increased funding for NIDA by $24 million.

Regrettably, while the President’s public statements laud the Institute’s results, his budget calls for a cut.

His hypocrisy should not go overlooked.”

Source: Senator Tom Harkin