| WASHINGTON,
D.C. – Following the approval by the House of Representatives of a $13
billion emergency funding bill which included $1.7 billion in aid to Colombia,
U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today said that this was “a first
in a series of blank checks for a war with no foreseeable end game.”
Schakowsky
also said that many questions still remain about the Colombia aid package
and that supporters of this aid along with the Administration have failed
to answer serious questions about this anti-drug policy.
“Why
are we taking action to invest in a militaristic drug war that may escalate
regional conflict in the name of fighting drugs instead of fighting the
battle here at home with at least as much vigor? Is this counter-narcotics
or counter-insurgency?” Schakowsky asked.
Schakowsky
also pointed to a General Accounting Office report which found that despite
$625 million in U.S. aid for counter-narcotics efforts in Colombia between
1990-1998, Colombia surpassed Peru and Bolivia to become the world’s largest
coca producer. Additionally, there has not been a net reduction in coca
production in Colombia or cocaine availability in the United States.
“Considering
the demonstrated failure of militarized eradication efforts to date, why
should we believe that investing more money in this type of plan will achieve
a different result?” Schakowsky asked.
Studies
have found that drug control strategies that focus on prevention, treatment
and education have been proven successful.
“I
am disappointed that Congress insists on ignoring studies that show that
dollar for dollar treatment for cocaine users is 10 times more effective
than drug interdiction and 23 times more effective than eradication at
the source. However, I am committee to addressing the drug problem
in America by working for more treatment and prevention efforts here at
home,” Schakowsky said. |
