John Ensign: “very simply, this amendment reduces spending for the Educational and Cultural Exchange Program fund in order to provide…”

“very simply, this amendment reduces spending for the Educational and Cultural Exchange Program fund in order to provide spending for implementation of the Adam Walsh Act. My amendment provides funding for the United States Attorneys to prosecute sexual predators who target children and also for the United States Marshals to track down the nearly 100,000 sex offenders in the United States who have failed to register as a sex offender as required by law. The bill before the Senate is an emergency spending bill. I strongly believe that funding the critical programs contained in the Adam Walsh Act is an emergency: 100,000 predators on our streets who are unregistered as sex offenders. They need to be registered. So that parents know where they are so that they can protect their children. That is an emergency. I know some people hold the sincere belief that the Educational and Cultural Exchange program is very worthwhile. I don't question their opinion, but I question whether funding it is truly an emergency.”