Washington, D.C. — Our senior US Senator is one of several Senators introducing a bill to keep government funds from being used to provide crack pipes.
Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee Chuck Grassley joined Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and several of his colleagues to introduce the Cutting off Rampant Access to Crack Kits (CRACK) Act. The bill would amend Section 2706 of the American Rescue Plan Act to prohibit any federal funds from directly or indirectly purchasing, supplying, or distributing crack pipes.
Grassley’s staff says the proposal comes after the Biden administration appeared to confirm that part of the $30 million grant program would go toward “smoking kits/supplies,” which frequently includes crack pipes. The Biden administration reversed course, prompting the outcry of activist groups that argue “pipe distribution is health care.”
Grassley says, “Under no circumstance should Iowans’ tax dollars be used to pay for drug addicts’ crack pipes. While I’m glad to hear the Biden administration has backpedaled on this plan, our bill will ensure grants can’t ever be used to pay for crack pipes.”
Iowa’s other Senator, Joni Ernst, is also among the 14 additional sponsors of the bill.
