Extensions of Remarks

June 30, 1992 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 17191 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS UNITED STATES CAN STILL SAL Take, for instance, the major cause of the MARYLAND LEADERS WARN VAGE ITS POSITION ON EARTH world's environmental disappointment with us ABOUT FATAL DRUG SUMMIT in Rio: This was the much-discussed, much HON. CHARU.S B. RANGEL HON. DANTE B. FASCEU worked-over biodiversity agreement. It was OF NEW YORK OF FLORIDA signed by more than 150 countries-almost IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES everyone but us. In its basic elements the pact Tuesday, June 30, 1992 Tuesday, June 30, 1992 is aimed at preserving the world's plants and Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, today Congress Mr. FASCELL. Mr. Speaker, the big Rio de animals and the natural systems, such as man LAWRENCE COUGHLIN and I are introduc Janeiro environmental conference is over and water, air, and soils, that support these ing legislation, at the request of the Drug En all the world knows that the United States lifeforms. forcement Administration, which would bring played the spoilsport. How could Americans be against the bier the penalties under the Controlled Substances We came away from Rio as the bully nation diversity pact? Well, we are only against part Act, and the Controlled Substances Import that would not join the global green parade. and Export Act, for fentanyl and its analogues President Bush reluctantly went along with of it-the part that says: the developed world will fund the agreement and the developing into line with those for heroin. Fentanyl and its some of the Rio agreements, but he balked at analogues are synethic narcotics which are signing the really big one. He said the cost to world will have the biggest say in how the money is spent. closely related pharmacologically to heroin. the United States for the major biodiversity They differ from heroin mainly in their potency, pact was too open-ended and that this envi Another part says we'll turn over our envi onset of action, and duration of action. ronmental agreement, as spelled out at Rio, ronmental technology, our hard-won exper This legislation in necessary because clan would cost American jobs. tis0-{)ur patents and our licenses-free of destinely produced fentanyl, called China The President noted that the United States charge to the developing nations. We balked white on the street, has began to reappear in has a distinguished record of environmental strongly at that also. fairly large quantities. According to an article achievements. We have led the world for at in the Washington Post on March 31, 1992, "A least the last two decades. But the day of Not hard to understand. It sounds as if the powerful synthetic narcotic known as China America writing blank checks is over, the poor nations call the shots and we pay the White has killed at least 23 intravenous drug President said. bills-and donate our brainpower. But, what is The President was right as far as he went. left out of this equation is the fact that the users in Maryland since late January, accord We have certainly done our part for the envi White House announced we would not sign ing to top (Maryland) health and law enforce ronment over the years. And the new dollar the pact even before the Rio meeting began. ment officials. Investigations said the drug, costs might very well wind up being too rich By refusing to discuss it we missed a golden 100 times as potent as heroin is being for our national wallet. But what the President opportunity to seek changes in it. The Brazil shipped to Baltimore from New York." it does did not strive for at Rio was compromise. ians quietly offered to help us out of our policy not take much fentanyl to kill someone, a le What he did not seek was the middle ground dilemma by acting as our gcrbetween in work thal dose of the drug is about the size of three of environmental agreement-a common ing out changes. In effect, we spurned their grains of salt. Fentanyl citrate is commonly used as an an green base on which nations of goodwill can offer and engendered Brazil's hostility. manage the environmental future of our plan esthetic and analgesic in hospitals. In high So what's to be done at this late stage? Rio doses, however, it quickly and totally sup et. is over, isn't it? Admittedly, Americans can't go it alone. It is presses the part of the brain that controls res unreasonable for the developing nations to Yes, but the President could still salvage piration. It is prudent to take action now which look to us for a huge financial handout that some of the situation by working out his own will inhibit people from marketing fentanyl as they think will solve all their environmental ills. clarification of provisions he didn't agree with, heroin, because no one knows when or where If there is one thing we have learned by hard attaching it-and then signing the biodiversity another rash of fentanyl-induced deaths may experience it is that environmental sumpholes occur. pact. It's not too late for that. 1 can't be soaked up by dumping money in The way the law is currently written, 2 12 The United States also quibbled over other times more heroin then fentanyl is required for them. agreements that merited lesser publicity-if But what about international cooperative ac the penalties of 21 U.S.C. section 841 to not substance-at Rio. For instance, we used tion? Why didn't the White House offer to sit apply, even though fentanyl is approximately down and talk. The stances taken by the ad our superpower muscle to weaken a pact on 50 times more potent as an analgesic than ministration at Rio were disappointing, not so reducing greenhouse gas emissions. heroin. The number of dosage units of heroin much for the fact that we refused our full sup In summation, we acted at Rio like a petu necessary to invoke the most severe penalties port, but more so in that we didn't sit down to lant giant, kicking several slats out of the glob is one-tenth the number of dosage units in work out our differences with our neighbor na al environmental boat. We did not sink it, but fentanyl. Thus the threshold quantities for in tions. we've weakened the forward momentum and voking the most severe penalties involving William Reilly, the chief U.S. negotiator at we've seriously endangered our position as fentanyl and its analogues are high consider Rio, was obviously willing to talk things the world's environmental leader. Now we've ing the relative potency of fentanyl and its through, but the White House effectively tied got to play catch-up ball. analogues to that of heroin. his hands. Specifically, Mr. Speaker, the legislation It is truly unfortunate that administration The long-term success of Rio will be meas does four things. First, it decreases the thresh rhetoric and actions undercut U.S. stature, tar ured not by the conference agreements old for fentanyl and its analogues by a factor nished our image, and alienated many people reached, but by the global partnership that is of ten for the enhanced penalties under 21 of goodwill at the Rio conference. But even shaped among the developed and developing U.S.C. 841 (b)(1 )(A) to apply. Second, it de now it is not too late to reassess our posi nations. We've still got a chance to be a full creases the threshold for fentanyl and its ana tio~and I hope the President will lead the fledged and welcomed member of that part logues by a factor of 10 for the enhanced pen way. nership. Our shared commitment to actions alties under 21 U.S.C. 841 (b)(1 )(B) to apply. His followup could be more important than and sustainable stewardship of the Earth's re Third, it inserts next to the technical name of the conference itself. sources could be the enduring legacy of Rio. the drug, the name fentanyl in 21 U.S.C. •This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. 17192 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS June 30, 1992 841 (b)(1 )(A)(vi) and 21 U.S.C. 841 Sabatini said a lethal dose of the coarse Federal Government. The states and the pri (b)(a)(B)(vi) to clarify that the penalties apply textured drug in dry form is about the size of vate agencies are deeply committed to this to fentanyl and its analogues. Fourth, this leg three grains of salt. partnership, obligating millions of dollars to islation makes the thresholds for enhanced "It's so lethal, people usually die before aid resettlement. However, this effort has they get to the hospital," Sabatini said. been seriously hampered because of declining penalties for fentanyl and fentanyl and its ana Schaefer, flanked by Sabatini and Carr at federal support for domestic refugee resettle logues the same: 40 grams in 21 U.S.C. the news conference, said he hopes to take a ment. Funding for FY92 allowed for a maxi 841 (b)(1 )(A)(vi) and 4 grams in 21 U.S.C. more active role in the fight against drugs mum of eight months of reimbursement to 841 (b)(1 )(B)(vi).

Load more