The letter below is from Sen. Al Franken to a Vote Hemp supporter in reply to a letter asking him to oppose the nomination of Michele Leonhart to be DEA Administrator.

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN)

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December 21, 2010

Dear Constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about the nomination of Michele Leonhart for Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). I appreciate hearing from you on this important nomination.

The Senate is tasked with reviewing the President's nominees for various federal offices, including the DEA. It is crucial to the functioning of our federal agencies that we confirm well-qualified nominees.

The DEA is responsible for enforcing controlled substances laws and supporting programs designed to decrease the availability of illegal drugs in the United States and around the world. Michele Leonhart has served as Acting Administrator of the DEA since 2007.

Ms. Leonhart was born and raised in Minnesota. After graduating from Bemidji State University, she became a police officer in Baltimore. She served as a career DEA Special Agent, at one point running all Los Angeles field operations, before becoming Deputy Administrator in 2004.

As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which oversees the DEA, I was able to meet Ms. Leonhart and become familiar with her policies. I also had the opportunity to question Ms. Leonhart during her recent confirmation hearing. I believe she has proven her ability to head the DEA, and I plan to support her confirmation.

I will be sure to keep your thoughts on the DEA in mind during routine oversight hearings of the administration. I also look forward to working with my colleagues in continuing to review and confirm qualified Presidential nominees. Thank you again for contacting me, and please do not hesitate to do so again in the future on this or any other matter of concern to you.

Sincerely,

Al Franken
United States Senator