Press Release/FEBRUARY 11, 2022

CAPITO, COLLEAGUES INTRODUCE CRACK ACT

Would amend dangerous American Rescue Plan provision that allowed for government distribution of drug paraphernalia kits

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) this week joined U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and a group of Republican senators in introducing the Cutting off Rampant Access to Crack Kits (CRACK) Act. The bill would amend Section 2706 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to prohibit any funds from directly or indirectly purchasing, supplying, or distributing crack pipes or similar drug paraphernalia.

“I never thought I’d have to cosponsor a bill to prevent the U.S. government from handing out pipes and illegal drug paraphernalia, but here we are,” Senator Capito said. “This is what can happen when you rush a $2 trillion ‘rescue package’ through Congress without regular order, committee work, or bipartisan input, and it’s one of the many reasons I voted against the partisan American Rescue Plan. I hope the administration realizes federal resources would be better spent actually addressing the addiction crisis, like securing our border to stop the flow of deadly drugs into our communities.”

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) appeared to confirm that part of the $30 million grant program would go toward “smoking kits/supplies,” which frequently includes crack pipes.