CADCA Publisher May 30, 2024
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CADCA Awards Congressional Leadership Award to Members of Congress Making a Difference

CADCA Presents Rep. Brad Finstad with Congressional Leadership Award

This past February, CADCA awarded Rep. Brad Finstad (R-MN-1st) with the prestigious Congressional Leadership Award. His partnership with CADCA has been critical in our advocacy efforts to include language that changes the definition of hemp to specifically exclude semi-synthetic cannabinoids that have the same effect as delta-9 THC. CADCA has worked diligently with coalitions across the country to end the proliferation of synthetic and semi synthetically derived cannabinoids in the next Farm Bill. CADCA’s partnership with coalitions in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional district has been critical in getting this issue on the radar of other important decision makers on the House Agriculture Committee. The Congressional Leadership Award is one of the highest honors CADCA can bestow to an active member of Congress, and we are delighted to continue our partnership with Rep. Finstad and his team.

CADCA Presents Rep. James Comer with Congressional Leadership Award

In March, CADCA presented Rep. James Comer (R-KY-1st) with the prestigious Congressional Leadership Award. This is one of the highest honors CADCA can bestow on a member of Congress. Working in a bipartisan, bicameral manner as Chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, he has supported efforts to reauthorize the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) program in the midst of a challenging political climate. Reauthorization of the ONDCP and DFC program will guarantee that coalitions nationwide can continue to access vital federal support for their invaluable efforts. CADCA is grateful for Rep. Comer’s support of substance use prevention.

CADCA Presents Rep. Linda Sánchez with Congressional Leadership Award

In March, CADCA awarded Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA-38th) with the prestigious Congressional Leadership Award. This is one of the highest honors CADCA can bestow on a member of Congress. Rep. Sánchez introduced the Keeping Drugs Out of Schools Act earlier in this Congress. This critical legislation aims to provide children with comprehensive school-based prevention strategies. The bill would authorize a new $7 million grant program for the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) grantees to apply for up to $75,000 per year for 4 years of funding to partner with elementary, middle and/or high schools in order to plan, implement, and evaluate comprehensive school-based substance use prevention programming. CADCA is grateful for Rep. Sánchez’s leadership on this legislation, and we are honored to continue to partner with her to support the substance use prevention field.

CADCA Presents Rep. Jamie Raskin with Congressional Leadership Award

In March, CADCA presented Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8th) with the prestigious Congressional Leadership Award. This is one of the highest honors CADCA can bestow on a member of Congress. Working in a bipartisan, bicameral manner as Ranking Member of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, he has supported efforts to reauthorize the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) program in the midst of a challenging political climate. Reauthorization of the ONDCP and DFC program will guarantee that coalitions nationwide can continue to access vital federal support for their invaluable efforts. CADCA is grateful for Rep. Raskin’s support of substance use prevention.

CADCA Presents Rep. Bill Johnson with Prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for his Commitment to Substance Use Prevention Issues in Congress

This past January, CADCA awarded Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH-6th) with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for his staunch leadership in protecting and expanding prevention funding in Congress. It is the highest honor CADCA can bestow. CADCA coalitions in Ohio are among the most robust in the country, and their collaboration with Representative Johnson and his team over the years has proven to be instrumental in expanding and protecting critical prevention programs since Rep. Johnson first arrived in Congress.

Representative Johnson has consistently backed the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) program during his tenure in Congress. From 2018 to 2023, he served as the Republican House lead on the annual letter to the House Appropriations Committee asking that the DFC program be funded at the highest possible level each fiscal year. In January, he was selected to lead Youngstown State University as their President. Rep. Johnson left Congress with an incredible track record of expanding and protecting prevention efforts and ensuring coalitions continue to have access to federal funding to reduce substance use in communities across the country. Congressional champions like Rep. Johnson are critical to ensuring the continued success of the DFC program. CADCA is incredibly grateful for Rep. Johnson’s critical partnership over the years.

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