USA. Outrage at Biden Administration Caving to “Crack Pipes” Pressure
USA. Outrage at Biden Administration Caving to “Crack Pipes” Pressure
“Biden crime policy: Crack pipes for all. What could go wrong?” asked Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R).
In one of the most exasperating controversies of Biden’s presidency, elected Republicans and conservative talking heads whipped up a social media firestorm this week, accusing the White House of wanting to distribute the pipes nationwide.
“I know that sounds insane, I know that sounds too crazy to be true,” said Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R). Others alleged the administration was celebrating Black History Month by prioritizing pipes for Black Americans.
This all stemmed from a grant program launched last year by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Biden’s multi-trillion dollar coronavirus rescue package, passed in March 2021, contained an historic-but-small $30 million in grant funding to public and private organizations to support harm reduction services, like the opioid-overdose antidote naloxone and sterile syringes. And “safe smoking kits/supplies” were listed as another eligible category. (Filter, USA, 10.02.2022)