Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard Lauds House Passage Of Federal Measure To Aid Local Law Enforcement

Press Release

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) applauded today's (June 18, 2009) House passage of the FY10 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Act, which makes critical investments in law enforcement, as well as science education and global climate change research programs.

Passed by a vote of 259 to 157, the legislation (HR 2847) funds a wide-variety of programs administered by federal agencies that include the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

"The Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations legislation targets spending toward some of our nation's top priorities, including protecting Americans in their communities and spurring scientific research and innovation needed to lay the groundwork for our future prosperity," said Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, who sits on the Appropriations Committee. "I am also very pleased that this spending bill contains federal investments in a number of worthwhile local projects to improve the quality of life for the families in the 34th District, including initiatives to prevent and reduce gang violence and assist Los Angeles-area youth overcome drug addiction."

Nationally, this legislation invests in important justice programs to help local and state governments keep their streets and citizens safe, including an additional $252 million above 2009 levels for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) that, when combined with funding from the Recovery Act, will allow local municipalities to hire more than 7,000 new police officers. The legislation also significantly increases funding for the FBI to boost its national security efforts and to prosecute crimes, including financial fraud. The legislation also invests heavily to bolster the Drug Enforcement Administration's drug trafficking efforts with 128 new positions in the Southwest. Enhanced resources are also made available under the measure to dismantle major Mexican drug cartels and reduce violent crime and combat drug trafficking along the Southwest border.

To help our students succeed in a global job market, the legislation increases our nation's investment by $36 million above current levels to promote science, technology, engineering and math education from kindergarten through graduate school.

Global climate change research would also increase by $120 million above 2009. The funds would support efforts by NASA, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, National Science Foundation, Economic Development Administration, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to research the causes of global climate change and find ways to address it.

Under the Commerce Department, the bill includes $7.4 billion necessary to prepare for the 2010 Census. Adequate funding used for staffing and other outreach efforts is crucial to ensure a successful census count. In addition to federal spending allocations, census data are used to distribute congressional seats to states and to make many local decisions about the location of schools, fire stations, retail outlets, businesses, and other community services.

Congresswoman Roybal-Allard successfully secured $2,625,000 in the House-passed version of the FY 2010 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Act for projects to benefit constituents and communities in her 34th Congressional District:

$250,000 for the Hollenbeck Police Activities League Youth Crime Prevention Program to expand crime prevention training and leadership development programs for youth ages 9-18 and their parents in the communities of Boyle Heights;

$500,000 for the Chrysalis Ex-Offender and Homeless Job Training Initiative for a training program to help ex-offenders re-enter the workforce;

$375,000 for the Court Appointed Special Advocate Program for Infants and Toddlers to recruit, train and supervise court appointed special advocates to address the needs of infants and toddlers in the Los Angeles foster care system;

$500,000 for the City of Los Angeles' Community Law Enforcement and Recovery Program to decrease gang-related crime in the Boyle Heights community of Los Angeles;

$200,000 for the U.S. Soccer Foundation's Champions of Change: Youth Soccer Gang Prevention Initiative to fund a pilot program in the 34th Congressional District that uses soccer as a tool for keeping at-risk children and teenagers from joining gangs; and

$800,000 for the Phoenix House Strengthening Family and Mental Health Services for Underserved Youth in Los Angeles County to expand substance abuse recovery management services, which include outpatient, mental health, family, and vocational services.

The measure now awaits passage in the U.S. Senate.

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