For Release: Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Contact: David Gillies: 202-225-5661

METH CAUCUS HOLDS ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

Washington - The Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine held a roundtable discussion today with members of the Bush administration to examine the federal commitment to addressing the meth problem in the United States.  U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello (D-IL), a member of the Caucus and a former law enforcement official, participated in the event.  A focus of the discussion was the effect of budget cuts proposed by the Bush administration on the ability of local, state and federal authorities to combat meth. 

"The concern of the Meth Caucus is that cuts to local law enforcement programs, such as the COPS program and the Byrne Grant program, will negatively effect our ability to train officers to identify and dismantle meth labs," said Costello.  "We need a coordinated, nationwide effort to continue to make strides against the meth epidemic and these cuts signal exactly the opposite to our police officers."

The Caucus heard from officials at the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State and the Environmental Protection Agency on topics ranging from prevention and treatment to attacking the drug trade.

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