Dear Daniel:

Thank you for contacting me regarding your opposition to the mycoherbicide provisions in H.R. 2829, the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2006. I appreciate hearing from you.

As you know, the House version of the bill, which passed in March, would require the Director's Office to report to Congress on a plan for research on the use of mycoherbicides to destroy illicit drug crops. The report must be conducted with complete and thorough peer review, and also must include an evaluation of any health/environmental impacts.

Although the inclusion of these reporting requirements are meant to satisfy concerns like yours, many argue that the health/environmental impact portion of the study is unnecessary because decisive conclusions on the issue have already been reached. As you note, several federal agencies have rejected its use already.

As the relevant Senate committees begin their work on this chamber’s version of the bill, I am confident that your concerns will be raised. Human health cannot be considered “collateral damage” in the war on drugs, and I can assure you that I will not support any measure that takes such a position.

Thank you again for writing.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama
United States Senator


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