The U.S. House of Representatives Monday passed a bloated omnibus spending bill that includes a stunning provision to stifle the constitutionally guaranteed free speech rights of drug-policy reform groups across America. The Senate, under fire from groups on the left and right for the undemocratic process by which the omnibus bill is being considered and the billions of dollars in pork it contains, postponed consideration of the bill until after it reconvenes from its winter break on January 20, 2004.

The Drug Policy Alliance and other likeminded reform and free-speech advocates are using the time between now and late January to persuade the Senate to remove the anti-free speech provision, introduced last week by Rep. Ernest J. Istook Jr. (R-Okla.), one of the most vitriolic Drug War crusaders in Congress. Istook’s rider would prohibit federal funding for local and state bus, train, and subway systems that allow citizens to run advertising in support of drug-policy reform. If enacted, the provision could be used by Congress and the Bush administration to muzzle the advertising of medical-marijuana and other drug-policy reform groups. The provision could one day be expanded to encompass advertising by pro-life, pro-choice, gay-rights, pro-gun, and other controversial advocacy groups around the country. Should the Senate fail to remove Istook’s unconstitutional rider, the Alliance will urge the body to vote against the entire omnibus spending bill which – in addition to containing Rep. Istook’s anti-free speech provision – includes $145 million in taxpayer-financed advertising for the Drug Czar’s office to campaign and lobby against reform.