He has consistently opposed one of the most effective policies available to us for minimizing the societal and individual
costs of addiction -- syringe exchange. In 1998, he supported a permanent ban of federal funding for syringe exchanges. In
2000 and again in 2007 he voted to prohibit the District of Columbia from spending its own locally raised funds on syringe
exchange programs.
He has voted five times against Congressional efforts to stop the arrest of AIDS, cancer and other patients who
use medical marijuana to ease their suffering in states where such use is legal.
On each of these issues he has put ideology ahead of both humane concerns and scientific evidence.
Equally disturbing has been his support of the DARE program despite the numerous studies showing that the program not only
does not prevent drug abuse but actually increases it in some groups of students exposed to the program. In addition to serving
on Minnesota DAREs board of directors, he has also been an active supporter of the controversial Teen Challenge treatment
program. Teen Challenge teaches that addiction is a sin, not a disease and has been accused of abusing teens imprisoned in
their centers.
