The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES TRAFFICKING PROHIBITION ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Senate section on pages S12680-S12681 on Oct. 20, 1998.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES TRAFFICKING PROHIBITION ACT
Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to consideration of H.R. 3633, which is at the desk.
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (H.R. 3633) to amend the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act to place limitations on controlled substances brought into the United States.
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection to the immediate consideration of the bill?
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, H.R. 3633, ``The Controlled Substances Trafficking Prohibition Act,'' addresses a gap in our controlled substances laws. At present, people entering the United States from Mexico may bring up to a ninety-day supply of drug products into the country without a prescription, under the so-called ``personal use'' exemption. Many of these drug products are then illegally distributed within the United States.
Such abuses have increased dramatically in recent years, and there is a need to address this problem now. H.R. 3633 does this by limiting the personal use exemption in certain circumstances to 50 dosage units. But this is only a stopgap measure. What constitutes ``personal use'' is a complicated issue that will turn on a number of circumstances, including the nature of the controlled substance and the medical needs of the individual. It is the sort of issue that should be addressed not through single-standard legislation but through measures regulations passed by an agency with expertise in the matter. For this reason, I believe that we will have to take this issue up again next year, to direct the Department of Justice to study the problems at our borders and to pass regulations that are more finely-tuned to address those problems. In the meantime, H.R. 3633 will help to stem the tide of illegal importations of controlled drugs, which pose dangers to Americans when illegally distributed and used.
Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statement relating to the bill appear at the appropriate place in the Record.
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The bill (H.R. 3633) was considered read the third time and passed.
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