c-ray
04-27-2006, 04:58 AM
JANE NORMAN
REGISTER WASHINGTON BUREAU
April 26, 2006
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060426/NEWS/60426009/1001
Washington, D.C. — In a rare slap at a top administration official, Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa today called for President Bush to fire the nation"s drug czar, John Walters.
Grassley has been critical for some time of Walters, saying he has not acted fast enough to combat the rising use of the illegal drug methamphetamine, which is more prevalent in the West and Midwest than other parts of the nation.
Grassley is the chairman of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control and on Tuesday held a hearing on the impact of meth on the child welfare system.
In a conference call with Iowa reporters, Grassley said: "I think the president ought to fire the drug czar." He said that he wrote Walters calling for more action on meth and the response he received was "basically, bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo."
Walters and the Office of National Drug Control Policy continue to place much more emphasis on fighting marijuana use, said Grassley.
"Marijuana obviously is a very big drug problem, particularly with the more pure marijuana that's out there now," Grassley said. "But the mind-altering aspects of meth are just tremendous, and the change of personality that comes, and the danger of it that comes, particularly when it's domestically made."
A spokesman for Walters declined to comment.
REGISTER WASHINGTON BUREAU
April 26, 2006
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060426/NEWS/60426009/1001
Washington, D.C. — In a rare slap at a top administration official, Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa today called for President Bush to fire the nation"s drug czar, John Walters.
Grassley has been critical for some time of Walters, saying he has not acted fast enough to combat the rising use of the illegal drug methamphetamine, which is more prevalent in the West and Midwest than other parts of the nation.
Grassley is the chairman of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control and on Tuesday held a hearing on the impact of meth on the child welfare system.
In a conference call with Iowa reporters, Grassley said: "I think the president ought to fire the drug czar." He said that he wrote Walters calling for more action on meth and the response he received was "basically, bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo."
Walters and the Office of National Drug Control Policy continue to place much more emphasis on fighting marijuana use, said Grassley.
"Marijuana obviously is a very big drug problem, particularly with the more pure marijuana that's out there now," Grassley said. "But the mind-altering aspects of meth are just tremendous, and the change of personality that comes, and the danger of it that comes, particularly when it's domestically made."
A spokesman for Walters declined to comment.