Free Beacon report earlier this 12 months revealed $30 million Biden admin plan to fund crack pipe kits for racial fairness
Joseph Simonson • December 21, 2022 2:27 pm
The $1.7 trillion omnibus spending invoice is affected by waste reminiscent of $3.6 million for a mountaineering path named after Michelle Obama and at the very least $200 million for gender fairness, however there’s one provision that might be worthwhile: a prohibition on buying crack pipes.
Tucked on web page 3,128 of the almost 4,700 web page invoice is a provision that claims federal {dollars} can’t be used to “purchase, procure, or distribute pipes or cylindrical objects intended to be used to smoke or inhale illegal scheduled substances.”
The provision, which relies on a regulation launched earlier this 12 months by Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), comes after the Biden administration earlier this 12 months canceled its plans to distribute $30 million in grants to organizations for “smoking kits/supplies,” together with crack pipes, following Washington Free Beacon reporting. Rubio in February launched the Cutting Rampant Access to Crack Kits (CRACK) Act after the Free Beacon‘s reporting, however Democrats on the time by no means allowed it on the ground for a vote. The omnibus invoice is prone to go Congress with bipartisan help to keep away from a authorities shutdown.
“Most people would agree their tax dollars shouldn’t pay for crack pipes. Sending drug paraphernalia to addicts is not the answer. It’s just common sense. Thankfully, my CRACK Act is buried in this 4,155-page spending bill,” Rubio instructed the Washington Free Beacon. “It will now be against the law to use taxpayer dollars to purchase, procure, or distribute pipes or cylindrical objects intended to be used to smoke or inhale illegal drugs. It’s good policy and I expect it to become a new annual rider included in every appropriations bill moving forward.”
Crack pipes and different drug paraphernalia are widespread objects in “harm reduction kits.” Such kits are a part of a broader push by activists who imagine prohibition is extra dangerous than drug use. Rather than encourage folks to not abuse narcotics reminiscent of heroin, these activists imagine, governments ought to be certain that medication are used safely.
The Biden administration mentioned in August that it will maintain conferences on forbidding its hurt discount grant recipients to distribute crack pipes. At least one hurt discount middle instructed the Free Beacon it will proceed distributing crack pipes after receiving federal funding.