The Patriot Act Reauthorization

THE PATRIOT ACT REAUTHORIZATION -- (House of Representatives - December 14, 2005)

(Mr. LARSEN of Washington asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to highlight the contents of H.R. 3889, the Combat Meth Epidemic Act, which has been included in the PATRIOT Act conference report. As a co-chair of the Meth Caucus, I worked with our caucus members to craft a comprehensive meth bill that would attack our Nation's meth problem on multiple fronts. While I would have preferred a straight up-or-down vote on a stand-alone meth bill, these meth provisions do benefit our communities.

Meth has been attacking this country, starting on the west coast and moving steadily eastward. It devastates communities, affecting not just meth users, but families, neighborhoods, public health, the environment, and crime rates.

This conference report takes necessary steps to limit access to a key meth precursor, pseudoephedrine. Significantly, it will allow for an additional prison sentence for individuals convicted of cooking or selling meth where children reside. Children are too often the silent victims of this drug. So this will help protect them by authorizing grants to assist children who have been found in meth labs.

For the first time, Congress is passing comprehensive anti-meth legislation that gives our local law enforcement and communities the tools, resources, and standards to protect themselves against the scourge of meth.

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