On September 24, the House approved, 389-4, the Drug Endangered Children Act of 2007 (H.R. 1199). The House Judiciary Committee approved the measure on July 25 (see The Source, 7/27/07).
Rep. Cardoza said, “Drug trafficking and abuse have a devastating impact on the children of this country and contribute to domestic violence, abuse, and neglect. According to a recent study, [the department of] Health and Human Services has said that over 1.6 million children live in a home where at least one parent abuses illicit drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, or prescription drugs.” He continued, “H.R. 1199, the Drug Endangered Children Act, will address the challenges facing children abandoned, neglected, or abused by parents addicted to illicit drugs…By funding coordination across jurisdictions and among several different types of government agencies, the Drug Endangered Children program would foster cooperative efforts to address the needs of children affected by drug abuse. These grants would leverage the federal government’s investment by offering an incentive for local government to invest their own money in confronting this important problem. It’s time to pass this vital piece of legislation. The 1.6 million children across this country impacted by parental drug abuse need our help. Let us help these children by passing the Drug Endangered Children Act and rid ourselves of the scourge of drug abuse.”
Rep. Wally Herger (R-CA) said, “Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1199, the Drug Endangered Children Act. The Drug Endangered Children program is critically important to my congressional district and others that have been plagued by the meth scourge. Thanks to the outstanding leadership of Susan Webber-Brown, Butte County, California was one of the first jurisdictions in the country to create a Drug Endangered Children [(DEC)] team to focus on the safety and protection of children during law enforcement operations. However, due in part to a lack of federal support, the state of California terminated DEC grant funding in 2003. Since then, Butte and other counties have struggled to keep their programs up and running. As a former chairman of the House subcommittee dealing with child welfare and foster care issues, I have heard countless heartbreaking stories of children trapped in some of the most awful living conditions imaginable as a result of their parents’ or guardians’ involvement with illegal drugs. The Drug Endangered Children program helps rescue children from these dangerous environments, provide for their immediate physical and psychological needs, and give them hope for a better life. I hope my colleagues will join me in voting to reauthorize this vitally needed program.”
