Anthony Weiner: “We have had a dramatic, precipitous drop in crime in this country under Democratic Presidents, under Republican…”

“We have had a dramatic, precipitous drop in crime in this country under Democratic Presidents, under Republican Presidents, under Democratic Congresses, under Republican Congresses. One thing that has been consistent is that, when that happens, although criminologists wring their hands trying to think of reasons, the bottom line is very simple. We, the Federal Government, got off the sidelines and said this is not just a local problem. This is a national priority. And we started systematically helping localities fund a COPS program. And it has worked; as hiring has gone up, crime has come down. In the midst of all of that, September 11 happened, where we once again wrapped ourselves in the dogma of support for local law enforcement. We needed to do it. This program is the embodiment of a local law enforcement program that works. And what have we done? We have, through the course of time, virtually eliminated it. It is not hyperbole. We now have a $114 million allocation from a high of $1.4 billion. That is the fact. What I propose to do in this amendment is frankly quite modest. It is to raise it up to last year's paltry level of $230-something million.”