Mike Honda: “I rise in support of H.R. 3093. Mr. Chairman, this is my first year as a member of the CJS Subcommittee. It has been a…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 3093. Mr. Chairman, this is my first year as a member of the CJS Subcommittee. It has been a great experience working under the leadership of Mr. Mollohan and Mr. Frelinghuysen, and I just want to indicate that it has been a good experience because it has been very bipartisan. I wanted to make a couple of comments about law enforcement. Between 2001 and 2006, the funding for State and local law enforcement grants was cut 43 percent during the time when State and local law enforcement agencies have been expected to take on increased homeland security responsibilities. As a result, last year the FBI reported that violent crime has had its biggest increase in over a decade. This bill reverses that trend, making its biggest investment in restoring the State and local grants and funding for the FBI. The bill includes funding to restart the COPS hiring program to put more than 2,800 police officers on the streets to fight crime, and in my district it is critical to be able to address the gang activities out there.”