Michele Leonhart

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Michele Leonhart
Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration
Incumbent
Assumed office
November 10, 2007
Acting: November 10, 2007 – December 22, 2010
President George W. Bush
Barack Obama
Preceded by Karen Tandy
Personal details
Alma mater Bemidji State University

Michele Marie Leonhart is an American career law enforcement officer and the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Since the resignation of Administrator Karen P. Tandy in the fall of 2007, Leonhart also served as Acting Administrator of the DEA. On 2 February 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Leonhart for the position of DEA Administrator;[1] the nomination was sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration (nomination no. PN1430-111).

Contents

[edit] Career

Leonhart graduated from Bemidji State University in 1978 with a degree in criminal justice, and began her career in law enforcement as a patrol officer in Baltimore, Maryland before entering the DEA in late 1980 as a Special Agent.[2] She became DEA's first female Special Agent in Charge in 1997.[2] President George W. Bush announced his intention to nominate Leonhart as Deputy Administrator on 31 July 2003,[3] and submitted her nomination to the United States Senate on 3 October 2003.[4] The Senate confirmed her nomination on 8 March 2004.[5] On 15 April 2008, the White House announced that President Bush intended to nominate Leonhart to succeed Tandy as the next Administrator of DEA.[6] Leonhart's nomination was received by the Senate the same day and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.[7] However, the committee did not hold any hearings on Leonhart's nomination, and on 2 January 2009, the nomination was returned to the President under the provisions of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate pursuant to sine die adjournment at the end of the 110th Congress.

[edit] DEA Administrator

During Leonhart's testimony before the Judiciary Committee, she was questioned by a member of the Committee on Aging, Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), about her policy for nurses prescribing painkillers for patients in nursing homes. The problem of DEA interference during Leonhart's acting administratorship with the prescription of painkillers by nurses in nursing homes had come before the Committee on Aging. Unsatisfied with her responses to his questions, Senator Kohl threatened to put a hold on Leonhart's nomination that could have postponed the vote on her confirmation indefinitely. In correspondence between the Committee on Aging and the DEA, Senator Kohl received assurances that patients suffering intractable pain could receive painkillers prescribed by nurses.[8] On 22 December 2010, the Senate confirmed Leonhart's nomination unanimously by voice vote.[9]

[edit] Controversy

Leonhart has consistently turned down research into the therapeutic and medicinal benefits of marijuana, and has a track record of undermining state law with regard to legal medical marijuana. On July 21, 2010, several pro-legalisation groups called on President Obama to withdraw his support of Leonhart, including SSDP, MPP, NORML, LEAP, and DPA. [10]

In 2011, the Washington Post reported that "994 people younger than 18 were killed in drug-related violence between late 2006 and late 2010" and that "[i]n 2009, the last year for which there is data, 1,180 children were killed, half in shootings."[11] In response to these statistics, Leonhart declared that while it "may seem contradictory, the unfortunate level of violence is a sign of success in the fight against drugs.”[11]

In 2012, Leonhart testified before Congress and refused to say that marijuana is less addictive or harmful than methamphetamine, heroin, or crack-cocaine.[12]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Presidential Nomination Sent to the Senate, 2/2/10" (html). The White House, Office of the Press Secretary. 2010-02-02. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-nomination-sent-senate-2210-0. Retrieved 2010-02-11.
  2. ^ a b "Outstanding Alumni - 2009: Michele Leonhart". Bemidji State University. 2009. http://www.bsualumni.org/alumni/awards/outstanding_alumni/2009/michele_leonhart.cfm. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
  3. ^ "Personnel Announcement" (html). The White House, Office of the Press Secretary. 2003-07-31. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/07/20030731-3.html. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
  4. ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (html). The White House, Office of the Press Secretary. 2003-10-03. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/10/20031003-5.html. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
  5. ^ "Presidential Nomination" (html). The White House, Office of the Press Secretary. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/nominations/970.html. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
  6. ^ "Personnel Announcement" (html). The White House, Office of the Press Secretary. 2008-04-15. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2008/04/20080415.html. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
  7. ^ "Presidential Nomination" (html). The White House, Office of the Press Secretary. http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/nominations/969.html. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
  8. ^ http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/prescription-drug-policy/132057-dem-senator-threatens-to-block-obama-nominee-over-dea-restrictions-on-painkillers
  9. ^ "Michele M. Leonhart Confirmed by Senate as DEA Administrator" (html). DEA, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs. 2010-12-22. http://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/pressrel/pr122210.html. Retrieved 2010-12-26.
  10. ^ http://blog.norml.org/2010/07/21/norml-opposes-president-obamas-pick-to-head-the-drug-enforcement-administration/
  11. ^ a b Pareene, Alex (2011-04-15) DEA head: A thousand dead children means we're winning war on drugs, Salon.com
  12. ^ Dolan, Eric. "Top DEA agent won’t admit heroin more harmful, or caused more deaths, than marijuana". rawstory.com. http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/06/20/top-dea-agent-wont-admit-heroin-more-harmful-than-marijuana/. Retrieved 6/21/2012.

[edit] External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Karen Tandy		 Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration
2007–present		 Incumbent
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