Mike Levin: “the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, enacted by the last Congress, contained a $30 billion trust…”

“the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, enacted by the last Congress, contained a $30 billion trust fund for State and local law enforcement programs. That legislation made an important statement of our commitment to stand with our police officers in the war against crime by providing dedicated funding to put 100,000 new cops on the streets. From 1970 to 1990, we increased Federal spending on lawyers by 200 percent and prison spending by 156 percent, but we increased Federal spending on police officers by only 12 percent. The COPS Program would reverse that trend, without adding to the deficit, and without any new taxes, by cutting thousands of jobs out of the Federal bureaucracy. More police officers, fewer bureaucrats. That is the commitment enacted into law by the last Congress. Mr. President, there is no more important step that we can take to fight crime and support our law enforcement community than to increase the number of cops on the streets. And that is what the COPS Program has been doing. That law has already funded 25,000 new cops nationwide, including 825 in Michigan. Unfortunately, the bill before us today would undermine this milestone achievement of the last Congress by cutting in half the funding provided to put new police officers on the street.”