A bill calling for more spending on preventive advertising aimed at methamphetamine passed the House of Representatives on a 399-5 vote, despite a veto threat from the White House, the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reported March 10.

The measure, sponsored by Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.), mandates that the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) spend at least 10 percent ($12 million) of the funding for its national anti-drug media campaign on meth ads, as well as earmarking another $15 million to ads targeting meth "hot spots" around the country.

"The United States Congress wants some action out of this administration on meth," said Souder, who blasted the Bush administration's approach to meth as "appalling."

Souder also accused the administration of trying to weaken the drug czar's office; his measure calls for elevating the ONDCP director's job to that of a Cabinet secretary.

An ONDCP spokesperson opposed the Sounder bill, saying that meth is not a problem in big cities and that youth use of the drug is declining. "The campaign as it is right now is working, finally, and is stretched thin," said spokesperson Thomas Riley. "Further constraining it and further limiting it at a time when it's already very vulnerable, I worry about the effect that might have on its success." 

The White House also opposed making the drug czar a Cabinet secretary, saying the bill infringes upon presidential prerogative.