Max Baucus on Drugs

Democratic Sr Senator (MT)

End methamphetamine and drug abuse in our communities

Max helped write and pass the Meth Remediation bill which required agencies to develop adequate meth clean-up guidelines, authorizing a research program to develop meth detection equipment, helping law enforcement agents detect active meth labs faster, and requires a study on the long-term health impacts of children exposed to meth labs. Max cosponsored the Indian Tribes Methamphetamine Reduction Grants Act to allow Indian tribes to be eligible recipients under programs created years earlier that address the manufacture, sale, and use of meth as well as aid children in homes in which meth or other drugs are made, sold, or used. Max was proud to announce a $1 million grant to help combat illegal drugs. The grant was awarded through the Byrne Justice Assistance Grants which Max has continually fought to keep properly funded. Max cosponsored the Combat Meth Act which became law and placed pseudoephedrine behind the counter and provided increased regulation on the sale of the pseudoephedrine. Source: 2008 Senate campaign website, www.maxbaucus2008.com , Aug 12, 2008

Voted NO on increasing penalties for drug offenses.

Vote to increase penalties on certain drug-related crimes. The amendment would specifically target the manufacturing or trafficking of amphetamines & methamphetamines and possession of powder cocaine, and set stronger penalties for dealing drugs Reference: Bill S.625 ; vote number 1999-360 on Nov 10, 1999

Voted YES on spending international development funds on drug control.

Vote to add an additional $53 million (raising the total to $213 million) to international narcotics control funding, and pay for it by taking $25 million from international operations funding and $28 million from development assistance. Reference: Bill HR 3540 ; vote number 1996-244 on Jul 25, 1996

Federal grants to Indian tribes to fight methamphetamine.

Baucus co-sponsored for federal grants to Indian tribes to fight methamphetamine

OFFICIAL CONGRESSIONAL SUMMARY: A bill to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to clarify that territories and Indian tribes are eligible to receive grants for confronting the use of methamphetamine.

EXCERPTS OF BILL: Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to include territories and Indian tribes as eligible grant recipients (or reaffirm such eligibility) under the programs to:

address the manufacture, sale, and use of methamphetamine;
aid children in homes in which methamphetamine or other drugs are unlawfully manufactured, distributed, dispensed, or used; and
address methamphetamine use by pregnant and parenting women offenders.

LEGISLATIVE OUTCOME:Passed/agreed to in Senate, by Unanimous Consent.

Source: Safe Streets Act Amendment (S.4113) 06-S4113 on Dec 8, 2006

TV ads to prevent teenage meth use.

Baucus signed S.3278 & H.R.5916

television, radio, Internet, and print advertisements and educational materials;
community outreach to motivate community involvement in methamphetamine education;
a benchmark survey and periodic studies of attitudes and behaviors related to methamphetamine ; and
qualitative research to assist in the development and testing of Campaign messaging and the effectiveness of methamphetamine education.

methamphetamine is a leading drug threat to the US
crime related to methamphetamine abuse continues to increase
methamphetamine laboratories pose a dangerous threat in terms of toxicity, severe environmental and property damage, violence, and public safety
24% of teens nationally report it would be easy or somewhat easy to obtain methamphetamine
33% of teens believe there is only slight or no risk to trying methamphetamines once or twice
the annual economic burden of methamphetamine use in the US is estimated at between $16,200,000,000 and $48,300,000,000 annually; and
there are currently no particular pharmacological treatments for dependence on methamphetamine.

Source: Meth Project Prevention Campaign Grant Program Act 10-HR5916 on Apr 29, 2010

Require chemical resellers to certify against meth use.

Baucus co-sponsored requiring chemical resellers to certify against meth use

Sen. FEINSTEIN: This act is designed to address problems that the Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, has identified in the implementation of the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005. The bill that I introduce today would:

clarify that all retailers, including mail order retailers, who sell products that contain chemicals often used to make methamphetamine--like ephedrine, pseudoepedrine and phenylpropanolamine--must self-certify that they have trained their personnel and will comply with the Combat Meth Act's requirements;
require distributors to sell these products only to retailers who have certified that they will comply with the law;
require the DEA to publish the list of all retailers who have filed self-certifications, on the DEA's website;
and clarify that any retailer who negligently fails to file self-certification as required, may be subject to civil fines and penalties.

The Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act that we passed last year has been a resounding success. The number of methamphetamine labs in the United States has declined dramatically now that the ingredients used to make methamphetamine are harder to get. Fewer meth labs means more than just less illegal drug production. In 2003, 3,663 children were reported exposed to toxic meth labs nationwide--but so far this year, the number of exposed children is only 319.

This is a common-sense bill, designed to strengthen the implementation of the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act. This bill would create incentives to ensure that the self-certification process of the law is made both effective and enforceable. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Source: Combat Methamphetamine Enhancement Act (S.2071) 2007-S2071 on Sep 19, 2007

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Page last updated: Apr 22, 2013