Byron Dorgan: “This budget that is brought to the Senate deals with choices. We make choices. I have great respect for people who have…”

“This budget that is brought to the Senate deals with choices. We make choices. I have great respect for people who have a differing view than mine on the choices of where to spend money and where to save money. They have every right to share views. I respect their views. There are times with respect to this budget document where we disagree. This is one of them. My amendment deals with law enforcement. The budget that is before the Senate, consistent with the Administration's wishes, proposes to cut $1.6 billion of proven, critically important domestic law enforcement programs; then it would restore about $500 million in funding, leaving the budget $1.1 billion short for law enforcement programs. This includes the COPS Program. We know that works, but it would be eviscerated by this budget. The Byrne grant program, that is the most important program to help local law enforcement agencies around this country, would be eliminated. The local law enforcement block grant program would be eliminated. We will be $1.1 billion short for these critical law enforcement needs. My amendment restores that money, and, in addition, reduces the Federal budget deficit by $1 billion.”