WASHINGTON (AP) A proposal to narrow the differences in prison sentences
for people caught selling crack and powdered cocaine is meeting resistance
from members of both political parties on Capitol Hill.

Current law sets the same mandatory fiveyear penalties for selling 5 grams
of crack or 500 grams of powdered cocaine a 1001 ratio.

A plan the White House announced this week would reduce the ratio to 10to1
by imposing the same fiveyear penalty on the sale of 25 grams of crack or 10
times as much powdered cocaine, 250 grams.

Lawmakers criticized the proposal Wednesday. It was drawn up by Attorney
General Janet Reno and Barry McCaffrey, the administration's drugpolicy
adviser, and endorsed by President Clinton.

Sen. Spencer Abraham, RMich., a member of the Judiciary Committee, which
heard McCaffrey Wednesday, said the proposal wasn't the way to go. Noting
recent increases in teenage drug use, he told McCaffrey that softening the
sentences ``sends the wrong signal to young people.''

McCaffrey replied that the current system has an ``injustice built into it''
and that removing the focus from lowlevel drug dealers could free resources
that can be used to target major traffickers.

``We think we've offered something that will make a lot more sense,''
McCaffrey said.

Others disagreed. Rep. Maxine Waters, DCalif., chairwoman of the
Congressional Black Caucus, said the proposed change remained unfair. She
said the caucus still demands a 1to1 ratio.

Critics say the sentence structure is unfair to those who handle crack, which
they say is cheaper but no worse than powder and more likely to be used
by minorities. Others say crack is more addictive because of its concentrated
form and more likely to be associated with street violence.

``Any sentencing scheme that treats crack use and trafficking more harshly
than powder use and trafficking is not addressing reality,'' she said. ``If
we eliminate the sentencing disparities, we eliminate the reality of
selective prosecution and racial injustice.''

McCaffrey went before the Judiciary Committee, which oversees the Office of
National Drug Control Policy, for a hearing on the agency's future and pushed
the administration's plan for a 10year drug control strategy.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, RUtah, the panel's chairman, said continuing the office is
essential, but added that he is ``skeptical about committing our nation to an
unproven strategy through the year 2007.''

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, DCalif., said she couldn't support such a lengthy
program without specifics. ``I don't intend to support this unless I see
goals that I believe will do the job,'' she said.

McCaffrey promised to deliver the goods by Oct. 1.

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