“I cannot understand why the president wants to cut effective programs combating the drug crisis, and I fought in the House Appropriations Committee to ensure these cuts did not happen.”
WASHINGTON – June 18, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Representative Evan Jenkins (R-W.Va.) has helped secure additional funding for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas and Drug-Free Communities programs, protecting them from cuts proposed by President Obama.
The Fiscal Year 2016 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill rejects the president’s proposed $56.6 million cut to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program. Instead, the program – also known as HIDTA – will receive $250 million, an increase of $5 million above fiscal year 2015 levels.
The bill also provides $95 million for the Drug-Free Communities Program – nearly $10 million more than the president’s request – and includes language directing the Office of National Drug Control Policy to prioritize funding for Appalachian states responding to the heroin and opioid epidemics.
“The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program plays a critical role in helping state and local law enforcement fight the drug epidemic in West Virginia. I have held roundtables in Huntington and Beckley on HIDTA, and local law enforcement, elected officials, educators and healthcare providers have all told me that HIDTA allows them to more efficiently and effectively address the drug crisis.
This funding pays for the equipment and overtime our local law enforcement officers need and use to specifically target illegal drug activity. Despite the proven effectiveness of this program, the president proposed cutting its funding by 21 percent,” Rep. Jenkins said.
“Programs like HIDTA and Drug-Free Communities work, and we must continue to support and fund programs that are making a difference in drug trafficking and addiction. I cannot understand why the president wants to cut effective programs combating the drug crisis, and I fought in the House Appropriations Committee to ensure these cuts did not happen.
“Appalachia is at a crossroads right now with heroin and opioid addiction and trafficking. By investing in programs that work, we can help stop this scourge and ensure healthier futures for West Virginians.”
