Retain Byrne-JAG Funding to Combat Meth Transcript: Congressional Record February 28, 2006

Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to my colleague who has been a leader on this issue, Representative Davis of Tennessee.

Mr. DAVIS of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Congressman Kennedy has been a real leader and a fighter for the Brynes-JAG funding and methamphetamine issues in general. I applaud his efforts and his continued concern about our families and our Nation and certainly the States that we represent.

Mr. Speaker, methamphetamine abuse continues to be a growing plague on America's families, communities and our economy. Abuse of this drug has swept across our Nation like a terrible storm that leaves in its wake broken families, endangered children, overcrowded jails, degraded environment and communities begging for help.

I cannot overstate the problems this drug creates. As Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez said in July of 2005, in terms of damage to our children and to our society, methamphetamine is now the most dangerous drug in America. That is why, Mr. Speaker, I was terribly disappointed to see that the President's budget for fiscal year 2007 completely cut funding for the Byrnes Justice Assistance Grants.

This program has been cited by State and local governments across the country as critical in their efforts to combat meth. In essence, it represents the combined effort among Federal, State and local governments to create safer communities. In my State the funding has helped fund the State's drug task force and helped fund local community crime prevention projects.

State officials back home have informed me that eliminating this program could reduce criminal justice funding to Tennessee by a total of $11 million and eliminate 170 much needed individual projects across our State.

That is why I have joined with Representative Kennedy and many of our other colleagues in urging the House Budget Committee to include at least $900 million for the Edward Byrnes Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program in the budget resolution for fiscal year 2007, which is still $200 million less than the program's authorized level of $1.1 billion.

We must fight this elicit drug head on. Just as we need to give our soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq the tools and resources needed for success, so too must we give our local law enforcement officials the tools they need to fight the war on drugs.

This program is a tool our local law enforcement officers desperately need. Congress must restore the funding. The risk in not doing so is simply too scary and the threat to our children's future is too great.

I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.