'''Republicans Protest Bush Cut to Anti-Drug Program'''
By Alan Elsner
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a rare show of discontent with the White House, 41 congressional Republicans have signed a letter protesting President Bush's plan to sharply cut spending on an anti-drug program.
The 41 House of Representatives Republicans joined 49 Democrats in signing the letter, given to Reuters on Friday, which asked top House budget writers to reject the cuts.
Bush's budget request to Congress in February proposed cutting funds for the High Density Drug Trafficking Area program to $100 million, from $228 million last year, and moving control from the White House drug czar's office to the Justice Department.
The program brings together law-enforcement agencies to fight drug trafficking in 31 major problem areas across the United States, including big cities and the southwestern U.S. border with Mexico, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
"If enacted, these proposals would effectively terminate the ... program. We believe that such a result would severely undermine federal, state and local drug-enforcement cooperation and coordination, threatening the substantial progress we have made in reducing drug abuse since 2001," the letter said.