toxic hippie
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VIA thehill .com:
The White House is proposing to cut nearly the entire budget for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, slashing its funding by about 95 percent, according to a lobbyist familiar with the plan.
Created in 1988, ONDCP — informally known as the drug czar's office — is charged with advising the president on drug issues, coordinating efforts to reduce drug usage and creating an annual National Drug Control Strategy. Politico first reported the proposed cuts.
Acting Director Rich Baum called the proposed cuts "frankly heartbreaking" in an internal staff email, Politico reported.
The White House called the budget process a “complex one with many moving parts.”
“It would be premature for us to comment — or anyone to report — on any aspect of this ever-changing, internal discussion before the publication of the document,” the White House said in a statement. “The President and his cabinet are working collaboratively to create a leaner, more efficient government that does more with less of tax payers’ hard-earned dollars.”
The deadline to submit comments on the proposed cuts is Tuesday, according to a lobbyist.
The proposed cuts come as the country faces an opioid addiction epidemic in both rural and urban areas. Since 1999, the rate of overdoses from opioids, such as heroin and prescription painkillers, has quadrupled, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
President Trump has said he’s committed to combatting opioid addiction. In late March, Trump signed an executive order creating a commission to combat the opioid epidemic helmed by Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J).
Advocates have rallied around ONDCP in recent months, with around 200 organizations working on addiction-related issues sending a letter in support of the office after The New York Times wrote a story about its possible elimination.
“At a time when drugs now kill more people than firearms or car crashes, it is more important than ever for ONDCP to remain a strong voice in the White House and a visible presence nationally,” the letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney states.
Rep. Tom Marino (R-Pa.) withdrew his nomination to run the office earlier this week, citing a critical illness in his family.
The White House is proposing to cut nearly the entire budget for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, slashing its funding by about 95 percent, according to a lobbyist familiar with the plan.
Created in 1988, ONDCP — informally known as the drug czar's office — is charged with advising the president on drug issues, coordinating efforts to reduce drug usage and creating an annual National Drug Control Strategy. Politico first reported the proposed cuts.
Acting Director Rich Baum called the proposed cuts "frankly heartbreaking" in an internal staff email, Politico reported.
The White House called the budget process a “complex one with many moving parts.”
“It would be premature for us to comment — or anyone to report — on any aspect of this ever-changing, internal discussion before the publication of the document,” the White House said in a statement. “The President and his cabinet are working collaboratively to create a leaner, more efficient government that does more with less of tax payers’ hard-earned dollars.”
The deadline to submit comments on the proposed cuts is Tuesday, according to a lobbyist.
The proposed cuts come as the country faces an opioid addiction epidemic in both rural and urban areas. Since 1999, the rate of overdoses from opioids, such as heroin and prescription painkillers, has quadrupled, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
President Trump has said he’s committed to combatting opioid addiction. In late March, Trump signed an executive order creating a commission to combat the opioid epidemic helmed by Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J).
Advocates have rallied around ONDCP in recent months, with around 200 organizations working on addiction-related issues sending a letter in support of the office after The New York Times wrote a story about its possible elimination.
“At a time when drugs now kill more people than firearms or car crashes, it is more important than ever for ONDCP to remain a strong voice in the White House and a visible presence nationally,” the letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney states.
Rep. Tom Marino (R-Pa.) withdrew his nomination to run the office earlier this week, citing a critical illness in his family.
