Pubdate: Fri, 12 Jan 2001
Source: Washington Times (DC)
Section: Inside the Beltway
Copyright: 2001 News World Communications, Inc.
Contact:  202-832-8285
Website: http://www.washtimes.com/
Author: John McCaslin
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mccaffrey.htm (McCaffrey, Barry)

STAY THE COURSE

Concerned that President-elect George W. Bush will "drop" the Cabinet-level 
status of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), eight 
high-ranking members of Congress have appealed to Mr. Bush to "re-energize" 
the commitment to fighting the national drug epidemic.

"We believe that any downgrade of the drug czar position below Cabinet 
status at the outset of your administration would be a political misstep," 
says the letter, obtained yesterday by Inside the Beltway and signed by 
Republican Reps. John L. Mica of Florida, chairman of the House Government 
Reform criminal justice, drug policy and human resources subcommittee and 
co-chairman of the Speaker's Working Group for a Drug Free America; Dan 
Burton of Indiana, chairman of the House Government Reform Committee; Cass 
Ballenger of North Carolina, vice chairman of the International Relations 
Western Hemisphere subcommittee; and Benjamin A. Gilman of New York, past 
chairman of the House International Relations Committee.

"Early on, President Clinton's misguided efforts to severely reduce the 
ONDCP staff was met with strong public and congressional condemnation and 
eventually reversed," say the congressmen, who tell Mr. Bush they want a 
"nationally prominent figure" appointed as drug czar.

Leading contender for the post, we're told: former Florida Rep. Bill McCollum.
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