Methamphetamine Response Act of 2021

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 854, the ``Methamphetamine Response Act of 2021'' which designates methamphetamine as an emerging drug threat (a new and growing trend in the use of an illicit drug or class of drug).

It also directs the Office of National Drug Control Policy to implement a methamphetamine response plan.

Methamphetamines are a highly addictive substance that can cause considerable health adversities which can sometimes result in death.

Meth not only changes how the brain works, but also speeds up the body's systems to dangerous, sometimes lethal, levels--increasing blood pressure and heart and respiratory rates.

People who repeatedly use meth may also experience anxiety, paranoia, aggression, hallucinations, and mood disturbances.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the misuse of methamphetamine remains an extremely serious problem in the United States.

In some areas of the country, it poses an even greater threat than opioids, and it is the drug that most contributes to violent crime.

According to data from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), over 14.7 million people (5.4 percent of the population) have tried methamphetamine at least once.

NSDUH also reports that almost 1.6 million people used methamphetamine in the year leading up to the survey, and it remains one of the most commonly misused stimulant drugs in the world.

According to a report commissioned by the CDC in 2018, the age- adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths involving methamphetamine in the United States more than tripled from 0.6 per 100,000 population in 2011 to 2.1 in 2016.

The rate increased on average by an astounding 29 percent per year.

Jane Carlisle Maxwell from the University of Texas found in 2021 that methamphetamine still outnumbers other drugs in the four drug reporting systems, and it continues to increase, a pattern consistent with that seen in other states.

Over the years, the proportion of methamphetamine items seized has changed.

In 2005, methamphetamine represented 21 percent of all items identified by DEA laboratories; in 2019, methamphetamine comprised 50 percent of all the items examined.

Methamphetamine admissions to treatment programs increased from 3 percent of all admissions in 1995 to 11 percent in 2007, dropped to 8 percent in 2009, and then rose to 22 percent of admissions in 2020.

The race-ethnic composition has changed in terms of Hispanic representation.

In 1995, 91 percent were White, 2 percent were Black, and 5 percent were Hispanic. Of the 2020 admissions, 90 percent were White, 7 percent were Black, and 18 percent were Hispanic.

Forty-one percent of the admissions were ages 26-35.

In 1994, 59 percent of the clients were male, as compared to 45 percent male in 2020.

Based on the results of Maxwell's previous research, females use methamphetamine for energy, to lose weight, and to counter depression.

There is a significant need to consider gender issues in methamphetamine treatment, which could certainly be taken into account by the Office of National Drug Control Policy in its response plan.

Additionally, the Office of National Drug Control Policy should make treatment for methamphetamine addictions the center of its response plan.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse has found that the most effective treatments for methamphetamine addiction at this point are behavioral therapies, such as cognitive-behavioral and contingency management interventions.

For example, the Matrix Model--a 16-week comprehensive behavioral treatment approach that combines behavioral therapy, family education, individual counseling, 12-step support, drug testing, and encouragement for non-drug-related activities--has been shown to be effective in reducing methamphetamine misuse.

Contingency management interventions, which provide tangible incentives in exchange for engaging in treatment and maintaining abstinence from methamphetamines, have also been shown to be effective.

Motivational Incentives for Enhancing Drug Abuse Recovery (MIEDAR), an incentive-based method for promoting cocaine and methamphetamine abstinence, has demonstrated efficacy among methamphetamine misusers through NIDA's National Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network.

It is, therefore, clear and obvious that treatment should be the center of ONDC's response plan, not incarceration.

Incarcerating those addicted to drugs has clearly not worked considering methamphetamine users continue to use throughout our country despite the present criminal penalties.

This bill is of the utmost importance to me considering the major threat methamphetamines pose in Houston.

The DEA via Operation Crystal Shield, an operation to ramp up enforcement to block the further distribution of methamphetamines into America's neighborhoods, has designated the city of Houston one of eight major transportation hubs for methamphetamines.

The flow of methamphetamines in Houston is significant, with major busts by authorities not being out of the ordinary.

Just two weeks ago, Click2Houston reported an umpire was arrested after authorities say he was in possession of drugs while working around children at a youth baseball tournament in the Houston area this week.

When authorities arrived at the scene, deputies say they found 2.7 grams of crystal meth inside the umpire's vehicle.

Additionally, in May 2021, authorities seized 1,789 pounds of methamphetamines in the north Houston area, as well as large quantities of other narcotics.

According to authorities, the street value of the seizure was approximately $3.4 million.

The city of Houston is under attack, and the belligerent parties are drug traffickers and their henchmen.

They alone are ruining the lives of countless Americans, but this bill creates a comprehensive response to ensure that no more lives are lost.

It is for that reason, Mr Speaker, that I am urging my colleagues to support the Methamphetamine Response Act of 2021.

Mr. President, for two Congresses, Angus King and I have introduced bipartisan legislation to streamline and simplify student loan repayment programs. Our proposal would make the current, overly- complicated loan repayment programs easier to navigate and more predictable for both borrowers and the Federal Government.

Today, students are asked to choose between nine different loan repayment plans, each with different eligibility and income requirements. The uncertainty created by too many competing options has made it nearly impossible for the Federal Government to accurately fund the program, leading to billions of dollars in budget shortfalls.

Just last year, the Office of Management and the Budget said the Direct Loan Program would cost $64 billion more than previously anticipated in just a single fiscal year prior to the COVID-19 emergency. The COVID-19 emergency caused $39 billion in additional unplanned for costs to the program through congressional and administrative actions. This is unsustainable, and it is unnecessary.

We need to make it easier for student borrowers to find the best repayment plan that works for them, and we need to make it easier for the Federal Government to accurately account for a program on which so many students depend. The REPAY Act would do just that, and I am here again to introduce this commonsense proposal to help all new borrowers, which represents approximately 20 percent of Federal student loan borrowers each year. This bill has been previously supported by a number of cosponsors, including Senators Warner, Rubio, Collins, Capito, Shaheen, Carper, Wicker, Manchin, and Portman.

The REPAY Act would simplify this process by establishing just two, easy-to-understand loan repayment plans.

The first is a fixed 10-year payment option, like most borrowers pay now.

The second is a simplified income-driven repayment plan, which takes into consideration how much a student borrowed verses how much they earn.

First, this plan provides forgiveness of all outstanding debt after the borrower fulfills their obligation to pay monthly on a 20-year term if the student borrowed less than the maximum undergraduate borrowing limit of $57,500 and pay monthly on a 25-year term if the student borrowed more than the undergraduate limit.

Second, this plan provides reasonable expectations for monthly payments. Very low-income borrowers would have a zero dollar payment. No payments are required until a borrower earns above 150 percent of the poverty line, which adjusts by family size and income. Modest- income borrowers would have a very low payment equal to 10 percent of the earnings they make above 150 percent of the poverty line. Higher income borrowers would pay 10 percent on the first $25,000 of discretionary income they earned and 15 percent on any income above that.

A single income-driven repayment plan assures students that there is a reasonable repayment plan available based on their individual earnings. It means students won't be unnecessarily discouraged from pursuing careers that may pay less but for which they have a passion, such as education or social work.

As I said, this is not the first time Senator King and I have introduced this legislation, but there is added urgency this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic and because of the reckless proposals to simply transfer hundreds of billions in debt from individual borrowers to the Federal Government.

Last year, as the Nation struggled to combat coronavirus, Congress paused loan repayments for all borrowers through September 30, 2020. The Trump and Biden administrations then extended that pause through September 30, 2021. No borrower has been required to make a student loan payment for the last 12 months. As the American economy recovers, however, we cannot continue to pause payments indefinitely or, even worse, erase large swaths of loan balances, regardless of an individual's economic circumstance. Instead, Congress must put forward a commonsense plan that reflects the interests of student loan borrowers and American taxpayers.

I have cautioned Secretary Cardona against pursuing a dangerous proposal to simply forgive student debt through administrative action, an action which neither complies with the Federal Claims Collection Act, the Higher Education Act, or the related regulations. Not only do I think this isn't a legal idea, I don't believe it is a wise one, either. It is reckless policymaking to forgive massive amounts of existing student debt and doing so will create a profound moral hazard. What happens after existing debt is forgiven? Will colleges magically lower their tuition and fees, so no student ever needs to borrow again, or will colleges continue to charge for their services, and will students load right back up on exorbitant debt that 5, 10, or 30 years from now the American taxpayer will be asked to write off once again? This is an unserious gambit that doesn't come close to addressing the real drivers of student debt.

Rather than a flash-in-the-pan trick, I propose that we take up a durable policy solution, which includes the commonsense, bipartisan legislation that Senator Angus King and I are advocating. Our proposal helps ensure student loan repayment programs are understandable and workable for future students who need them. As ranking member of the Education Committee, I will work with our committee's chairman to move this legislation forward. I hope that we will find a willing partner in the White House and at the Department of Education.

Mr. President. In today's economy, ensuring access to a variety of postsecondary programs has become even more critical in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of the end of 2020, more than 10 million Americans were unemployed, and 3. 7 million of those individuals have suffered permanent job loss. These workers will need access to postsecondary education and training to reskill and reenter the workforce. Notably, according to a poll conducted by Strada in June of 2020, Americans strongly prefer nondegree and skills training programs over degree programs as a way to access postsecondary credentials during and post-pandemic.

However, when it comes to higher education, Federal policies are not doing enough to support the demands of the changing labor market. Many of the individuals who enter into skills and job training programs are at the lowest end of the socioeconomic level, yet simply because their goal is to enter the workforce rather than obtain a degree, they are denied access Federal financial aid. The Federal Pell Grant Program-- needs-based grants for low-income and king students--can only be used to offset the cost of programs that are over 600 clock hours or

at least 15 weeks in length. While many short-term programs provide high-quality skills training that employers need and recognize, they are not Pell-eligible.

Since the creation of the Pell grant, the profile of today's students has evolved along with the types of postsecondary education and training programs students look to enroll in. Today, 3 7 percent of all postsecondary students are 25 years of age or older, 68 percent work full-or-part-time while attending school and 26 percent have children or dependents. While many of these students enroll in longer-term degree programs, a significant number seek out shorter-term, workforce- oriented training programs that lead to in-demand jobs or stack to longer-term education pathways. These short-term programs allow them to advance their education and skills in a manner that works with their life-situation of working and caring for children and other dependents. Without such programs, many of these students cannot devote the four plus years that many part-time students must spend to get an associates degree, or six plus years to earn a four year degree. Our federal higher education policy must be modernized to meet the needs of students and employers. According to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, shorter-term educational investments pay off--the average postsecondary certificate holder has 30 percent higher lifetime earnings than individuals with only a high school diploma.

Today, I am pleased to introduce with my colleague, Senator Portman, the Jumpstart Our Businesses by Supporting Students or JOBS Act. The JOBS Act would close extend Pell Grant eligibility to high-quality, short-term job training programs offered at community colleges and other public institutions, so workers can afford the instruction they need to be successful in today's job market. Under the legislation, Pell-eligible job training programs are defined as those providing at least 150 clock hours of instruction time over a minimum of 8 weeks. Eligible job training programs must also provide students with licenses, certifications, or credentials that meet the hiring requirements of multiple employers in the field for which the job training is offered.

The JOBS Act also ensures that students enrolling in Pell-eligible short-term programs are earning high-quality postsecondary credentials by requiring that the credentials meet the standards of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, are recognized by industry or sector partnerships, and align with the skill needs of industries in States or local economies. Job training programs under this Act must also be evaluated by an accreditor and the State workforce board for quality and outcomes. The Virginia Community College System has identified approximately 50 programs that would benefit from the JOBS Act including in the fields of manufacturing, maritime, architecture/ construction, energy, health care, information technology, transportation, and business management and administration.

The JOBS Act is a commonsense, bipartisan bill that would help workers and employers succeed in today's economy. As Congress works to help Americans recover from pandemic job losses, I am hopeful that my colleagues will join me in advocating for Pell Grants to be made available to individuals enrolling in high-quality, short-term training programs that lead to industry-recognized credentials and good paying jobs.

Mr. President, nationally, psychostimulant overdose deaths, including methamphetamine-related deaths, increased by nearly 42% between July 2019 and July 2020. This increase is second only to synthetic opioids, a category which includes fentanyl.

My home State of California has been particularly hard hit. Between 2014 and 2019, methamphetamine-caused deaths in San Diego increased from 262 to 546, a stunning 108 percent increase in just five years. Similarly, in Los Angeles County, methamphetamine was involved in 44 percent of all drug overdose deaths in 2018.

Unfortunately, these figures are not unique to California, as other localities throughout the country are also seeing increases.

That is why I am introducing the Methamphetamine Response Act, which was passed by the Senate unanimously during the last session of Congress, with my colleague, Senator Grassley.

This bill does two things. First, it declares methamphetamine an emerging drug threat. Second, it requires the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to develop and implement a national plan that is specific to methamphetamine, in accordance the ONDCP Reauthorization, which I was proud to co-author, and which was enacted in 2018 as part of the SUPPORT Act.

This plan must include: An assesment of the methamphetamine threat, including the current availability of, and demand for, the drug, and the effectiveness of evidence-based prevention and treatment programs, as well as law enforcement programs;

Short- and long-term goals focused on supply and demand reduction and the expansion of prevention and treatment programs;

Performance measures related to the plan's goals; and

The level of funding needed to implement the plan, including an assessment of whether available funding can be reprogrammed or transferred, or whether additional funds are needed.

It is clear that methamphetamine is re-emerging as a major drug threat to our Nation:

Data shows that methamphetamine use is no longer limited to Mid-West and Western States, but is increasingly prevalent in Northeastern States.

Between 2018 and 2019, psychostimulant overdose deaths, including methamphetamine deaths, increased in 27 of the 38 States that provide drug-specific data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This amounts to a 27 percent increase nationally.

Methamphetamine continues to be highly potent, pure, and cheap. By the end of 2019, its availability and use had both increased.

Between 2016 and 2019, the number of individuals aged 12 and older with a methamphetamine use disorder increased from 684,000 to one million. That's a 46 percent increase in just three years.

Emergency room admissions for suspected stimulant overdoses, including methamphetamine, increased by 23 percent between January 2019 and 2020. These increases occurred in 36 States and the District of Colombia.

Two of the largest methamphetamine seizures on record occurred in 2019: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized 3,000 pounds of methamphetamine at the port of Otay Mesa while the Drug Enforcement Administration seized 2,224 pounds of methamphetamine in Riverside County. Both of these seizures were in California.

Given the increasing size of these seizures, it is not surprising that in the first five months of fiscal year 2021, CBP has already seized more than 75,000 pounds of methamphetamine.

In a one year span, psychostimulants, including methamphetamine, killed more than 21,000 Americans. Absent immediate action and a comprehensive plan, these fatalities will continue to increase.

I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate and in the House to see Methamphetamine Response Act enacted.

Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 854, the Methamphetamine Response Act. The companion version of this bill, H.R. 2051, was led by Representatives Peters, Curtis, and Harshbarger in the House.

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant that is illicitly trafficked throughout the United States. This dangerous substance is associated with psychosis, cardiovascular dysfunction, infectious disease transmission, and overdose. The Drug Enforcement Administration even issued a public safety alert for the first time in 6 years in September 2021 warning Americans about the increase in the lethality of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine.

In response to recent trends and alarming increases in methamphetamine-involved overdose deaths, S. 854 would designate methamphetamine as an emerging drug threat and would direct the Office of National Drug Control Policy to develop a methamphetamine response plan. The development and the implementation of this plan will help coordinate efforts across the Federal Government to more effectively address this emerging drug threat.

I will say, we absolutely have to have this in place, but it stops at the source. I was able in early January to go to the border, and I was outside of El Paso--actually in New Mexico, but outside of El Paso. The Border Patrol agents took me to the point where, on January 20, 2021, they ceased building the wall; and they said this is where a lot of the drugs are flowing through, and they were talking about meth, and they were also talking about fentanyl.

Fentanyl, as we know, mostly originates in China, but it comes through Mexico, so it is just a failure of so many different policies. It comes through Mexico and comes across the border. They said because of the volume of people coming up through the border without the remain in Mexico policy and the wall that it is numbers. If hundreds of people are coming, and we can catch 20 percent of them; and you can put fentanyl--I know we are talking about methamphetamine, but it comes together--you can put fentanyl in a water bottle and bring it through.

We are doing this bill today, which is great, but if the CR expires on March 11, illicit fentanyl and fentanyl analogues will be street- legal in the United States. This committee needs to bring the HALT Fentanyl Act to the floor and permanently ban illicit fentanyl. Seventy percent of all overdose deaths in Kentucky in 2020 were from illicit fentanyl.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill. This is a serious bill. I actually had a sheriff from Nelson County, Kentucky, who was visiting, and he said: We can tell the price--because they do the controlled buys--in the amount of money I have to use to buy meth, the cost, I can tell you what has happened at the border because if it is low, it means we are flooded with it because the border is not in control, and right now the price is so low, the only thing that my drug enforcement officers have said to me is that, well, there is no longer any meth labs or many meth labs, if any, in rural Kentucky because so much is coming from Mexico it has put them out of business. So they don't have to go clean up meth labs as they find them, but it is a tough consolation.

We need to pass this bill, and we also need to pass the HALT Fentanyl Act. We need to get control of our southern border to keep these drugs from flowing into the country illegally to begin with.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.