Kennedy and Terry Seek Increased Funding for Local Drug Task Forces

Kennedy and Terry Seek Increased Funding for Local Drug Task Forces

Congressman Mark Kennedy, along with Congressman Lee Terry (R-NE), announced they will send a letter to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, urging him to provide robust funding to the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (Byrne-JAG) program in their FY08 budget proposal. Already, more than 20 other Members of Congress have sign on to the letter.

"For years, crime rates across the country saw meaningful decreases. However, more recently we have seen a flood of cheap and pure meth pouring across the border with Mexico from international superlabs, as well as a spike in violent crime in certain parts of the country. The response from the federal government should be clear: an increased commitment to support law enforcement and provide the resources necessary to keep our communities safe," Kennedy wrote.

The Byrne-JAG program allows federal, state and local law enforcement to work together to rid communities of the scourge of drugs like meth. Over the past two years, Kennedy and Terry have successfully beaten back efforts by the Administration to eliminate the Byrne-JAG program. In June, Kennedy and Terry led a successful bi-partisan effort to include an amendment in the Science/State/Justice/Commerce (SSJC) appropriations bill to increase funding for the program by $50 million.

"We ask a lot of our local law enforcement officers, who are on the front lines in keeping us safe from drug and gang crime. We owe them the support they need to do their jobs," he continued.

http://markkennedy.house.gov/cgi-data/press/files/749.shtml