Herb Kohl: “if anyone wonders why people do not trust Congress, an answer lies in what we have done with the crime issue. What…”

“if anyone wonders why people do not trust Congress, an answer lies in what we have done with the crime issue. What Congress is doing, Mr. President, is worse than nothing. Congress is, in fact, breaking a public promise to the American people. One year ago last week, the President signed into law a tough, balanced, bipartisan crime bill after years of political infighting. That bill devoted 80 percent of its resources to punishment and 20 percent to prevention, and it reflected a mainstream consensus. Democrats and Republicans agreed that we need to put more police officers on America's streets. Democrats and Republicans agreed that we need to build more prisons to house violent criminals. Democrats and Republicans agreed on the importance of prevention efforts targeted toward at-risk youth. And Democrats and Republicans agreed that all of this would be financed from a trust fund that dedicated money saved through reductions in Federal personnel. In just 1 year after that public agreement, the COPS Program has funded more than 25,000 police officers who go after crime where it happens--on our streets. More than 200 communities in Wisconsin alone have received funding and the COPS Program has enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support among law enforcement in my home State.”