Drug Endangered Children Act of 2007

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank my colleague from Virginia who's been a tremendous supporter and assistance on this piece of legislation.

I rise in strong support of H.R. 1199, the Drug Endangered Children's Act. And let me also thank, as well as my colleague from Virginia, my colleague, Mr. Conyers, who's the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, who also assisted us in bringing this legislation to the floor. I appreciate both their efforts on behalf of our Nation's children.

Drug trafficking and abuse have a devastating impact on the children of this country and contribute to domestic violence, abuse and neglect. According to a recent study, Health and Human Services has said that over 1.6 million children live in a home where at least one parent abuses illicit drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin or prescription drugs.

In my district in the central valley of California, I have seen the harmful effects of methamphetamine on children's lives. While visiting schools in my area, I've been told by teachers and administrators and, frankly, by the students themselves, that a significant portion of the students have a parent or relative who abuses methamphetamine. Sadly, I know that I'm not alone, as similar stories could be told in other parts the country where illicit drugs are prevalent.

I'm particularly concerned about the impact of this drug epidemic and what it's having on our foster care system. According to the National Association of Counties, 40 percent of child welfare officials nationwide report an increase in child welfare cases caused by methamphetamine.

This issue strikes close to home for me. In my home county of Merced, California, between 67 and 75 percent of foster care cases are methamphetamine-related.

As a father of two adopted children, I have seen firsthand the damaging impact of drug abuse on the foster care system.

Ladies and gentlemen, we must do more to help these children in need. Methamphetamine is an extremely dangerous drug for children not only because meth addicts are more likely to abuse and abandon their children but also because meth-addicted parents often set up meth labs in their homes. These labs are highly toxic and susceptible to fire and explosions and therefore place innocent children in physical danger. In my district, children have been found at labs with burns from spilled ingredients from the methamphetamine production process. In addition, there is a high risk of lasting health damage from toxic fume inhalation. Tragically, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, children are found present at 20 percent of all meth labs that are seized.

H.R. 1199, the Drug Endangered Children Act, will address the challenges facing children abandoned, neglected, or abused by parents addicted to illicit drugs. The legislation would authorize the Department of Justice to make $20 million in grants available for drug- endangered children for fiscal years 2008 and 2009. The grants are designed to improve coordination among law enforcement, prosecutors, children protection services, social service agencies, and health care providers to help transition drug-endangered children into safe residential environments.

The Drug Endangered Children program would build on the successful Federal, State, and local partnerships of the COPS program and the Edward Byrne Memorial Grant program. By funding coordination across jurisdictions and among several different types of government agencies, the Drug Endangered Children program would foster cooperative efforts to address the needs of children affected by drug abuse. These grants would leverage the Federal Government's investment by offering an incentive for local government to invest their own money in confronting this important problem.

It's time to pass this vital piece of legislation. The 1.6 million children across this country impacted by parental drug abuse need our help. Let us help these children by passing the Drug Endangered Children Act and rid ourselves of the scourge of drug abuse.

I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 1199.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1199) to extend the grant program for drug- endangered children.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H.R. 1199 was introduced on February 27 of this year by the gentleman from California (Mr. Cardoza). Currently, the legislation enjoys the support of 15 additional bipartisan cosponsors.

The measure, on its face, is quite simple and straightforward. It simply extends funding for the Drug Endangered Children Grant Program through fiscal year 2009. The current authorization for the program is set to expire this year.

The Drug Endangered program was first authorized as title VII of the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005, which authorizes up to $20 million a year for grants to address this problem.

One of the most troubling aspects of drug use is its impact on children. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, over 15,000 children were found at methamphetamine labs from 2000 to 2004. The problem, however, is not limited to meth abuse. A Health and Human Services study found that over 1.6 million children live in homes where a variety of illicit drugs are used. These drug-infested conditions stretch child welfare agencies beyond their capacities because of the increased violence and neglect.

On February 6, the Crime Subcommittee held a hearing on H.R. 545, the Native American Methamphetamine Enforcement and Treatment Act of 2007, which has been reported by both the Crime Subcommittee and the full Judiciary Committee. A central provision of that bill extends eligibility for drug-endangered children grants to Native American tribes. However, unless the Congress passes H.R. 1199, the authorization for the drug-endangered children grants will expire this year, negating our recent efforts to help Native American children.

With this said, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this much-needed legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the sponsor of this bill, the gentleman from California (Mr. Cardoza).

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House to pass this important piece of legislation, and I thank the gentleman from California for his leadership in introducing the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Drug Endangered Children Act.

Over the last 6 years, 7,500 drug-related child abuse cases were reported in Iowa. In 2004, over 1,700 of Iowa's children tested positive for illegal drugs. Two-thirds of them were under the age of 6. Nearly one-quarter were less than a year old.

These statistics are staggering but they have a very real face. They represent Iowa's most vulnerable population--a population that demands not only our attention but our action.

The Iowa Drug Endangered Children Program was established in 2004 to assist local communities in their efforts to protect the health and safety of children exposed to illegal, toxic drugs in their homes. In my district, Linn and Wapello counties have created community-based Drug Endangered Children programs in order to coordinate services and provide immediate intervention, long-term assistance, and follow-up care for children found in homes where illegal drugs are used, manufactured, or trafficked.

Since 2001, 4,000 methamphetamine labs have been dismantled in Iowa. Roughly 30 percent of these labs were based in homes with children. State and local law enforcement, prosecutors, and child welfare organizations are dedicated to the protection of children found to be living in homes where dangerous and illicit drugs are present, but they cannot carry out this enormous and vitally urgent task on their own.

This bill authorizes $20 million annually for the Drug Endangered Children grant program for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009. These grants will assist in the coordination of State and local agencies and will help to assure the swift and safe transition of children from dangerous homes to safe residences.

We cannot sit by while almost 2 million children nationwide continue to live in homes where illegal drugs are present. This bill is an essential step toward assuring the health and safety of our Nation's children, and I strongly urge its passage.

Another bill in the Judiciary Committee title package was a bill that reauthorized the Drug Endangered Children Program. There may be families who have not been affected by drugs in some way. It may not be their immediate family. It may be some distant family members, it could be neighbors. But my nephew died of a drug overdose. He had a problem from his time as a teenager until he died at the age of 38 or so. There is a terrible problem with illegal drugs; it leaves many victims. Many are innocent children who are found in homes, hotels, automobiles. My nephew died in a sleazy motel. Among those are innocent children who are found, as I have indicated, in homes, hotels, automobiles, and apartments where all kinds of illegal substances are produced.

The product that is causing so much problem now is meth, methamphetamine. This bipartisan bill would authorize the Department of Justice to award $20 million per year--remember, this authorizes it--in grants designated to improve coordination among law enforcement, prosecutors, child protection services, social service agencies, and health care providers to help transition these drug-endangered children into safe residential environments.

I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 1199 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; that the bill be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be laid on the table; that there be no intervening action or debate.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1199, the Drug Endangered Children Act of 2007, and commend my colleague from Virginia (Mr. Scott) for his leadership on this issue.

This legislation extends the existing authorization for grants to State and local governments and Indian tribes to protect and help drug- endangered children. It is a sad consequence of our Nation's drug problem that drug traffickers have such a devastating impact on innocent children who live and play

in areas used to facilitate the production and distribution of illegal drugs.

We owe it to our Nation's children to do all that we can to protect them and provide them the services needed to allow them to grow and develop in a healthy and loving home.

It is often said that you can judge the health of a society by the way in which it treats the innocent and vulnerable, our children. Too often we hear from law enforcement about children being used or abused by drug traffickers. The consequences to our children are devastating. We must do whatever we can to protect our children from the evils of drug dealing and provide them with a safe environment in which to live.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.