Grassley's letter to John Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, follows a letter he sent Monday to President Bush asking for his help in addressing the problem. If the funding is not restored, the Iowa National Guard will be forced to lay off nine counterdrug personnel in the state within the next 30 days. The Iowa Guard will also terminate five additional counterdrug positions that are currently vacant.
Grassley's letter to Office of National Drug Control Policy Director John Walters follows:
January 18, 2002
The Honorable John P. Walters
Director
Office of National Drug Control Policy
750 17th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20503
Dear Director Walters:
Your help is needed in resolving a problem within the National Guard counterdrug programs. The Guard is in the process of cutting over 1000 Guard members nationwide in order to stay within their FY2002 budget constraints. These cuts not only effect the National Guard, but also all the Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies who receive logistical and analytical support from the Guard. If the Guard is going to sustain their current level of counter-drug support they will need an additional $40,000,000 in FY 2002. I hope you will intervene with the Department of Defense (DoD) to find the necessary funding to address this issue immediately. We need prompt action now. In addition, I hope to work with you to ensure that we do not repeat this problem in the future.
In Iowa, for instance, the Guard currently provides support for 10 of the 25 Byrne Grant Task Forces, two metropolitan police departments, all three Iowa Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) offices, both US Attorney's offices, and the Iowa's Office of Drug Control Policy. Additionally, Iowa Guardsmen support a wide range of law enforcement operations from reconnaissance and surveillance to web site management and summer camps for at-risk youth. In short, the National Guard's counterdrug activities in Iowa affect many more organizations than just the National Guard.
Because the FY 2002 National Guard State Plans budget is dramatically less than what was appropriated last year, the Iowa Guard will be forced to lay off nine (out of 32) couterdrug personnel in Iowa within the next 30 days. This means four drug task forces will no longer have Guard analysts, there will be one less reconnaissance solider, 15 schools will be without a drug demand reduction instructor, the Governor's office will no longer have a coalition coordinator, and all DEA offices will be reduced to one analyst. In addition, without additional funds the Guard will not be able to complete the following state plan missions in Iowa in 2002: 1) marijuana field eradication, 2) crack-house demolition, and 3) RAID helicopter support. This is not a result that affects only Iowa. Similar or even more dramatic cuts will affect counterdrug efforts in every state in the country. Nor does the problem end here. I joined 13 other Senators and 18 members of the House in sending a letter to the President on the 14th of January asking his help in addressing this problem.
Beyond addressing this immediate shortfall, it is important that you also use your authority (21 U.S.C. 1703(b)) to approve agency drug budgets to ensure that we do not face this crisis again. A quick review of recent Presidential budget requests and final appropriations for the National Guard State Plans account reveals a chronic shortfall, which Congress has been forced to correct. Increasingly austere budget requests for the "Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities, Defense" account precipitated this current shortfall. This under-funding has plagued the program for years. I have repeatedly urged DoD and the Administration to ensure that we do not repeat this problem year after year. I hope you will make coherent, consistent, sustainable funding of the Guard a priority in your review of DoD's counterdrug budget.
I appreciate your commitment to and leadership of our nation's fight against illegal drugs and terrorism and look forward to your prompt response on this important issue.
Sincerely,
Chuck Grassley
U.S. Senator