The Biden administration is getting slammed for its new “racial equity” initiative.
The Washington Free Beacon reports that Biden’s Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) is going to start a program that will, among other things, provide drug addicts with “safe smoking kits.”
Specifics
The Biden administration is planning to put $30 million into the program, which is set to start in May. This money will go to local governments as well as nonprofits to help drug addicts.
The goal, at least in part, is to make drugs safer for drug addicts. This is the point, for example, of the “smoking kits.”
The Washington Free Beacon reports an HHS spokesperson as revealing that “these kits will provide pipes for users to smoke crack cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and ‘any illicit substance.'”
In terms of distribution, the Biden administration, in the name of “racial equity,” is prioritizing “underserved communities,” which, according to the Washington Free Beacon, includes “African Americans and ‘LGBTQ+ persons,’ as established under President Joe Biden’s executive order on ‘advancing racial equity.'”
The backlash
Several individuals, including members of Congress, took to social media to highlight just how bad this one looks.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), for example, wrote:
HHS confirms that the Biden Administration is funding crack pipe distribution. They call it “harm reduction.” The rest of us call it insanity.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), similarly wrote:
HHS just announced they are funding crack pipes for addicts to promote “racial equity.” In the woke dystopia, facilitating self-destruction is the same as racial justice.
Biden responds
In response to the blowback, Biden’s HHS decided to put out a statement claiming that pipes will not be part of the smoking kit.
The statement reads:
HHS and ONDCP are focused on using our resources smartly to reduce harm and save lives. Accordingly, no federal funding will be used directly or through subsequent reimbursement of grantees to put pipes in safe smoking kits.
It continues:
The goal of harm reduction is to save lives. The Administration is focused on a comprehensive strategy to stop the spread of drugs and curb addiction, including prioritizing the use of proven harm reduction strategies like providing naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and clean syringes, as well as taking decisive actions to go after violent criminals who are trafficking illicit drugs like fentanyl across our borders and into our communities. We will continue working to address the addiction and overdose epidemic and ensure that our resources are used in the smartest and most efficient manner.
