April 28, 1998

The Honorable Gerald B.H. Solomon
Chairman
Committee on Rules
H-312, The Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman Solomon:

We are writing to object to the highly irregular and unfortunate effort to force House consideration of H.R. 3717, a bill to prohibit Federal funding of needle exchange programs, without any consideration by the Commerce Committee, the committee of jurisdiction.

H.R. 3717 has been referred to the Commerce Committee. Its members are fully entitled to an opportunity to review, amend, and state their views on the legislation through hearings, markup, and committee reports. Allowing H.R. 3717 or any comparable legislation to reach the House floor without adequate research and reflection is inconsistent with the best interests of the House.

In past Congresses, needle exchange programs have been the subject of deliberations by the Commerce Committee and the Subcommittee on Health and the Environment. In the 105th Congress, neither H.R. 3717 nor comparable legislation has been subject to any such review. Consequently, we urge you to ensure that the regular order is observed and an opportunity for appropriate scrutiny of the legislation is made available to the Commerce Committee.

Sincerely,

JOHN D. DINGELL
RANKING MEMBER
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE

SHERROD BROWN
RANKING MEMBER
SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

HENRY A. WAXMAN
RANKING MEMBER
COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM AND OVERSIGHT

cc: The Honorable Tom Bliley, Chairman
Commerce Committee

The Honorable Michael Bilirakis, Chairman
Subcommittee on Health and Environment

The Honorable John Joseph Moakley, Ranking Member
Committee on Rules

Members, Committee on Rules

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