[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 22, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E406]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


       LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAW ENFORCEMENT BLOCK GRANTS ACT OF 1995

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                               speech of

                          HON. SANDER M. LEVIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 13, 1995

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 728) to 
     control crime by providing law enforcement block grants.

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, last year I made a commitment to the people 
of my district to put more cops in our local communities, and add 
100,000 more cops across this country. That is a commitment I intend to 
keep.
  The bill before us does not ensure a single new officer will be added 
to our communities so I must oppose it. In fact, it ensures nothing. 
The bill permits the $10 billion block grant to be used for anything 
that generally reduces crime or improves public safety.
  Proponents of the bill argue this is just the sort of flexibility we 
need: no limits, no guidelines. But just how flexible is this bill? 
Could it be used to construct highways or roads? Absolutely. In fact, 
an amendment I supported that would have prevented the $10 billion from 
being used for these very purposes was defeated.
  Taxpayers deserve more accountability than this. They deserve to know 
how their money is used. And when they ask for a crime bill they 
deserve to see more police in their neighborhoods.
  The current law meets these goals with responsible flexibility for 
local government, and accountability for the taxpayers. The funding can 
be used to hire cops, purchase police technology and equipment, and 
bring on civilian clerks to free up officers from desk duty. Under an 
amendment I wrote, it can also be used to fund multijurisdictional task 
forces that allow local communities to pool their resources to focus on 
specific crime problems that don't respect suburban municipal 
boundaries.
  The law we passed last year with bipartisan support ensures the 
purpose of the people, the purpose to which I committed, to put more 
cops in our communities, to help local law enforcement increase its 
presence across this country, cannot be subverted by any politician--
Federal, State, or local. The bill before us does not. I say: Maintain 
the commitment, uphold the purpose of the people, stay the course.
    

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