Madam Chair, the recommendation in this bill includes $323 million for the Global Markets program, which includes the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service. This amount is $3 million more than the current operating level. Despite the continued fiscal constraints, the committee has supported increases to the International Trade Administration over the last few fiscal years in order to support deployment of additional commercial service and staff at embassies. But this offset totally takes it from the Bureau of Prisons. It reduces the Bureau of Prisons' salaries and expenses account by $3 million. The prisons are overcrowded. We have had several prison guards killed. With our high- and medium-security institutions exceeding 51 and 41 percent of their rated capacity, the prisons are overpacked. They are maxed out. And so with a population of 215,000 inmates and 2,500 more expected in 2015, the Bureau of Prisons just can't keep up. So this bill helps them recover. We don't want to have another prison guard killed. So I think where they take the money from--I would urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time. Amendment Offered by Mr. Smith of Texas





