Samuel Case, FISM News
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki denied reports on Wednesday that crack pipes would be purchased with a $30 million Health and Human Services (HHS) “Harm Reduction” grant.
The grant announcement said it will prioritize applicants who serve “underserved communities,” such as racial minorities or members of the LGBTQ community, to purchase syringes, infectious diseases testing kits, safe sex kits (including condoms), and overdose reversal medication, among a list of other supplies including “smoking kits/supplies.”
An HHS spokesperson reportedly told the Washington Free Beacon “that these kits will provide pipes for users to smoke crack cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and “‘any illicit substance.’”
However, Jen Psaki told reporters that crack pipes “were never a part of the kit,” and called reports “inaccurate.” Instead, the smoking kits “may contain alcohol swabs, lip balm, [and] other materials to promote hygiene and reduce the transmission of diseases like HIV and hepatitis,” according to Psaki. She added that the Biden administration doesn’t “support federal funding, direct or indirect for pipes.”
Jen Psaki claims that crack pipes "were never a part" of the Safe Smoking kits funded by the Biden admin. pic.twitter.com/DkHIjUkW5C
— MRCTV (@mrctv) February 9, 2022
Likewise, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and the Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Rahul Gupta said in a press release, “HHS and ONDCP are focused on using our resources smartly to reduce harm and save lives. Accordingly, no federal funding will be used directly or through subsequent reimbursement of grantees to put pipes in safe smoking kits.”
Washington Post fact checker Glenn Kessler asserted this press release suggests a change in policy:
Note how carefully worded this statement is. Unlike WH comment, there is no suggestion that the original reporting on crack pipes was wrong. The use of the word "Accordingly" suggests a change in policy without directly saying so. pic.twitter.com/W7xcqjFyzv
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) February 9, 2022
Meanwhile the Free Beacon is standing by its initial reporting:
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said crack pipes were ‘never a part of the kit.’ The program, however, does not explicitly state what is included in any funded kit. In fact, an HHS spokesman told the Free Beacon that it ‘does not specify the kits’ elements’ but ‘only the parameters.
Daily Wire reporter Ian Haworth has since filed a Freedom of Information Act request to determine “whether the Biden administration’s program would have or could have allowed for crack pipes to be distributed.”