We warned you earlier this week about language in the ONDCP Reauthorization Act that would authorize a study on unleashing mycoherbicides in Latin America's delicate ecosystem. Many of you called Congress. Your voices were heard. We're happy to report that Senator Biden has negotiated a significant change to the mycoherbicide section of the ONDCP bill. The change would prohibit the study from being conducted outside United States territories. This limits the study to a U.S. lab and ensures that there's no chance of an environmental disaster in Latin America. Of course, like many environmental and Latin American groups, DPA would prefer a study not be done at all. This is simply a road our country should not be walking on. But, this change is an important change.

We urge you to keep up your calls to the House and Senate in opposition to the current version of ONDCP Reauthorization. It does not contain any provisions mandating that the drug czar set annual objectives for reducing drug overdoses and the spread of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and other infectious diseases. Further more, it changes federal law to prohibit more than five percent of High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) funding from being spent on drug prevention, threatening prevention programs in the Appalachia, California, Florida, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, and the Northwest.

Keep up your calls to Congress!

If you don't know who your members of Congress are, simply call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and give them your address. They'll connect you directly with their offices. You can also look them up online at the Senate website and the House website.

IF YOU LIVE IN DELAWARE, please call Senator Biden and thank him for making changes to the mycoherbicide provision of the ONDCP Reauthorization Act to protect the people and environment of Latin America. Senator Biden deserves praise for getting Rep. Souder and others to change the bill.

Senator Biden's office number is (202) 224-5042. His e-mail is senator@biden.senate.gov