John P. Walters
{{Short description|Former US government official (born 1952)}}
{{Other people|John Walters}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = John P. Walters
| image = File:John Walters official photo.jpg
| office = Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
| president = George W. Bush
| term_start = December 7, 2001
| term_end = January 20, 2009
| predecessor = Barry McCaffrey
| successor = Gil Kerlikowske
| president1 = Bill Clinton
| term_label1 = Acting
| term_start1 = January 20, 1993
| term_end1 = July 19, 1993
| predecessor1 = Bob Martinez
| successor1 = Lee Brown
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|2|8}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Republican
| education = {{plainlist|
- {{nowrap|Michigan State University {{small|(BA)}}}}
- University of Toronto {{small|(MA)}}
}}
}}
John P. Walters (born February 8, 1952) is the president and chief executive officer of Hudson Institute; he was appointed in January 2021. He joined Hudson in 2009 as the executive vice president and most recently was the chief operating officer.{{cite web|title=John P. Walters President and CEO|url=https://www.hudson.org/experts/559-john-p-walters|access-date=28 January 2021|website=Hudson Institute}} Previously, Walters was Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in the George W. Bush administration. He held that position from February 5, 2001, to January 20, 2009. As the U.S. "Drug Czar", Walters coordinated all aspects of federal anti-drug policies and spending. As drug czar, he was a staunch opponent of drug decriminalization, legalization, and medical marijuana.{{Cite web|last=Solomon|first=Dave |website=New Hampshire Union Leader|title=Former U.S. drug czar urges lawmakers to reject legal marijuana|url=https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/state/former-u-s-drug-czar-urges-lawmakers-to-reject-legal-marijuana/article_c0f5c752-bdad-59c9-ae83-46089e636588.html|access-date=2020-09-17|language=en}}{{Cite web|last1=Smith|first1=Jordan|date=October 1, 2004|title=Weed Watch: Czar Stumps to Save Oregon|url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2004-10-01/231387/|access-date=2020-09-17|website=www.austinchronicle.com|language=en-US}}
Background
He was Assistant to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education in the Reagan Administration. He was the Secretary's representative to the National Drug Policy Board and the Domestic Policy Council's Health Policy Working Group. From 1989 to 1991, Walters was chief of staff for William Bennett and was Deputy Director for Supply Reduction from 1991 until leaving the office in 1993.
Walters served as Acting Assistant Director and Program Officer in the Division of Education Programs at the National Endowment for the Humanities from 1982 to 1985. He has previously taught political science at Michigan State University's James Madison College and at Boston College. From 1996 until 2001 he served as president of the Philanthropy Roundtable.[https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/government/walters-bio.html Office of National Drug Control Policy, Director John P. Walters, The White House]
He holds a BA from Michigan State University's James Madison College and a MA from the University of Toronto.[http://www.allgov.com/officials/walters-john?officialid=28546 John P. Walters, AllGov]
On April 7, 2023, Walters was sanctioned by the Chinese government after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen gave a speech at the Hudson Institute.{{Cite news |title=China announces new sanctions against US over speaker’s Taiwan meeting |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/east-asia/taiwan-sanctions-china-reagan-library-b2315899.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230610174530/https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/east-asia/taiwan-sanctions-china-reagan-library-b2315899.html |archive-date=2023-06-10 |access-date=2025-01-02 |work=The Independent |language=en-GB}}
Policy views
Walters is opposed to the decriminalization and legalization of narcotics. Speaking of marijuana legalization in Colorado, he said, "My argument is look to Colorado: it’s getting worse. That’s exactly what they said they were going to do. Tax it; regulate it; we’re going to keep it away from kids; higher rate. I visited people shortly after the legalization in Denver. I was struck by a woman who said, 'I’m terrified for my children. We now are told our children cannot bring food or beverages to school.' Anything they consume in the school must be made under school supervision because, of course, you have brownies, fruit juices, candies, other kinds of things that are infused with cannabis or THC and can be used to poison these children."{{cite web|author=|date=24 April 2017|title=John Walters Transcript|url=http://conversationswithbillkristol.org/transcript/john-walters-transcript/|access-date=6 June 2018|website=Conversations with Bill Kristol|publisher=The Foundation for Constitutional Government}}
Walters is a supporter of drug rehabilitation in place of incarceration to help drug users. In an interview, he said, "When I was in office, the criminal-justice system was the single largest category of institutions referring people to treatment using drug courts and diversion programs. Don’t send them to prison. Let’s get them into treatment because that’s what’s really causing their lives to be so self-destructive to themselves and to others. And it was that law and it was that effort."
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110829013045/http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp Office of National Drug Control Policy]
- [http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/monographs/overview2004.pdf University of Michigan, Survey Research Center Monitoring the Future, 2004] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121150454/http://monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/monographs/overview2004.pdf |date=January 21, 2017 }}
- {{C-SPAN|8408}}
- [https://www.c-span.org/video/?13855-1/morning-edition-radio-show 6 September 1990 rare video of "National Public Radio's Morning Edition" at 01:40:06] of John P. Walters and opposing views by Arnold Trebach of the Drug Policy Foundation about the "War on Drugs."
- [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=New_Citizenship_Project Information on the New Citizenship Project]
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{{s-bef|before=Bob Martinez}}
{{s-ttl|title=Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
{{small|Acting}}|years=1993}}
{{s-aft|after=Lee Brown}}
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{{s-bef|before=Ed Jurith
{{small|Acting}}}}
{{s-ttl|title=Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy|years=2001–2009}}
{{s-aft|after=Ed Jurith
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{{DrugCzar}}
{{GW Bush cabinet}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walters, John P.}}
Category:21st-century American politicians
Category:Directors of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
Category:George W. Bush administration cabinet members
Category:Michigan State University alumni