Andy Barr: “Mr. Chairman, there has been a great deal of talk this morning, very understandably, about this issue of H.R. 728 and…”

“Mr. Chairman, there has been a great deal of talk this morning, very understandably, about this issue of H.R. 728 and the broader issue of how we are going to provide the support to law enforcement that they need, whether it is through the approach reflected in the 1994 crime bill or the approach in H.R. 728. The issue is whether this is a partisan issue or not, and distinguished Members on both sides of the aisle within the last several minutes have said, very properly so, that it is not a partisan issue. However, Mr. Chairman, it is an issue of credibility, and it is an issue of honesty and an issue of forthrightness in how this matter is presented to the people of the United States of America. I think, as the distinguished chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary just noted, any way you slice it, any way you cut it, any way you dissect it, there is not sufficient funds in the crime bill that was passed last year to come anywhere near 100,000 police officers on the street.”