Matthew Perry Lobbies Congress For Drug Court Funding

By Janie Amaya 

Actor Matthew Perry joined the Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus and the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) Thursday to raise awareness of the effect drug courts and their substance abuse programs have in an effort to prevent Congress from slashing their respective budgets.

Perry lobbied Congress to fund drug courts at a minimum of $86 million in 2012 to help the program reach a higher percentage of the millions who need its services. 

Rep. John Sullivan (R-Okla.) echoed Perry’s words and added that this kind of funding could save the country some serious dough in the long-term.

“We lose about $400 billion a year in the U.S. from loss of productivity in the workforce due to alcohol and drug addiction,” Sullivan said. “It’s an elephant in the room that we need to address. 

According to the NADCP, when compared to the $23,000 it costs the traditional criminal justice system to house one prisioner, the average cost drops below $7,000 per drug court participant.

NADCP CEO West Huddleston said that since 2004 the number of veterans diagnosed with mental illness and substance abuse disorders has increased 38 percent.

Perry had a clear message to those who have been most affected by the success of drug court and addiction programs:

“Follow your heart. It takes work to do the right thing but if you get yourself into a drug court and into the programs you have a chance to follow your true destiny.”

White House Aide Joining Planned Parenthood

Dana Singiser, the Special Assistant to President Obama on Legislative Affairs is joining Planned Parenthood, the organization announced Thursday.

“Dana Singiser is a highly respected advocate,” Cecile Richards, the President of Planned Parenthood, said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to have someone of Dana’s experience and caliber be a part of our team.”

Singiser will be joining the organization as the Vice President for Public Policy and Government Relations.

Gingrich: Early Days Of Campaign Weren’t Fun

While on Capitol Hill Wednesday evening, 2012 hopeful Newt Gingrich acknowledged the struggle his campaign went through during its early days.

“As some of you know, we had a fairly tough couple months this summer,” Gingrich said, quipping, “The campaign wasn’t as much fun as we had planned.”

Gingrich has had a steady rise in popularity since the campaign’s start, which was marred by reports that a large portion of his staff abandoned the campaign and that the Gingriches owed over a quarter of a million to jewelers Tiffany & Co.

Inflammatory Pastor Plans White House Bid

Inflammatory Pastor Terry Jones, who garnered both headlines and U.S. government attention over his plans to burn the Koran, announced Wednesday that he will be hosting a White House run.

Although Jones is guaranteed to find no electoral support the move is likely little more than a publicity stunt for the his small, Florida-based congregation, the pastor provided a short agenda, which includes sharp spending cuts, deporting all illegal immigrants and cutting corporate taxes.

In March, Jones and his followers burnt the Koran. Shortly after, Afghani demonstrators attacked their country’s United Nations Assistance Mission, leaving 13 dead, including five of the protesters. Jones denied responsibility.

Massachusetts Dem Calls It Quits After Two Decades In Office

The following statement was released Wednesday by Rep. John Olver (D-Mass.):

“Since 1991, I have had the privilege and great honor of representing the people of the First District of Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district has grown much larger from the district as it was in 1991, and these twenty years have been tumultuous years for America. Last December, I announced that I intended to seek to continue my congressional service beyond 2012.  Over the past six months, circumstances within my family have substantially changed, and I now find I must reconsider my earlier decision. Therefore, I will retire from the House of Representatives at the conclusion of the current (112th) Congress.”

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) called Olver a “tireless fighter for the people of Western Massachusetts since he was first elected to the House in 1991.”