NATION : Bush Ups Drug War Budget 11%
WASHINGTON — President Bush today proposed an 11% increase in spending on the war against drugs, including a new emphasis on treatment.
Presidential spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said Bush is proposing $11.7 billion for the drug war budget in fiscal 1992, which begins next Oct. 1, up from about $10.5 billion for the current fiscal year.
The spokesman said that represents “an 82% increase since the beginning of the Administration.â€
The plan follows patterns set previously, stressing law enforcement and blaming casual users for much of the nation’s drug problem, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. However, this year’s plan will also include a program to expand facilities for treating drug abusers.
The new program comes nearly a year after Bush traveled to Cartagena, Colombia, to confer with leaders of South American nations where drug crops are harvested.
“Our cooperative efforts with the Andean nations continue,†Fitzwater said.
The drug-war figures announced today for fiscal 1992 will be contained in the $1.4 trillion budget the President submits to Congress next Monday.
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