Washington Roundup February 1, 2002
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Federal Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson announced today that President Bush will propose a $127 million increase for drug and alcohol treatment services in his Fiscal Year 2003 budget request that is scheduled to be released on Monday. This increase will be a part of President Bush's five year drug and alcohol treatment initiative to reduce the nation's treatment gap. This proposed funding increase is for the second year of President Bush's five year initiative.

The FY 03 budget proposal would increase the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant by an additional $60 million, the same funding increase requested by President Bush and appropriated by Congress in FY 02. Additionally, the President's FY 03 budget request will include a $67 million increase for competitive drug and alcohol treatment grants. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration would administer these grants.

Once the President's budget request is released on Monday, further detail will become available about these and other funding requests for drug and alcohol treatment, prevention, education and research programming. Congress' Appropriations Committees are scheduled to begin their deliberations of FY 03 funding sometime in April.

President Bush Names James Towey as New Director of Office of
Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

Today President Bush announced that he has appointed James Towey to serve as his Deputy Assistant and Director of the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives. Mr. Towey founded Aging with Dignity in 1996 after his experiences at Mother Teresa's homes for the dying inspired him to promote better for care for people facing the end of life. Towey, who is an attorney, was legal counsel for twelve years to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and he lived for one year as a full-time volunteer in her home for people with AIDS in Washington, D.C. Before meeting Mother Teresa, Towey served in former democratic Florida Governor Lawton Chiles' Cabinet, directing the health and social services agency. Earlier, he worked in Washington, D.C. as the Legislative Director for Senator Mark O. Hatfield (R-OR).

In naming Towey to this position, President Bush referenced Towey's ability to work with members of both political parties and his commitment to public service as outstanding qualifications. President Bush stated that Towey would continue the Administration's work of eliminating government barriers that discriminate against faith-based and community programs, including working on legislation with a bi-partisan coalition from Congress that would help support faith-based and community programs. Additionally, Towey, along with five Cabinet level officials, will sit on an Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, chaired by newly appointed U.S.A. Freedom Corps Director John Bridgeland. President Bush promoted Bridgeland this week from his former position as the Deputy Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council.