[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 11 (Wednesday, February 9, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S549-S550]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BIDEN:
  S. 2049. A bill to extend the authorization for the Violent Crime 
Reduction Trust Fund; to the Committee on the Judiciary.


       re-authorization of the violent crime reduction trust fund

  Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, today, I introduce a bill which will re-
authorize the Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund for an additional five 
years.
  I firmly believe that re-authorization of the Violent Crime Reduction 
Trust Fund for another five years is the single most significant thing 
that we can do to continue the war on crime.
  In 1994 when we introduced the Biden Crime Bill, which eventually 
became the crime bill of 1994, some people disagreed with certain 
aspects of the bill. But, we all agreed that crime control is a place 
where the federal government can and should play a key role.
  We can all argue about how much we should be involved in education or 
welfare, but no one can argue about the requirement of the government 
to make our streets safe. That is the starting point for all ordered 
society.
  So, I, along with the Senior Senator from Texas, Mr. Gramm, and the 
Senior Senator from West Virginia, Mr. Byrd, worked to set up a Violent 
Crime Reduction Trust Fund. The way we did that was not to raise 
taxes--it was to cut the size of the federal government and use the 
money to fight crime. And so we agreed to let 250,000 Federal employees 
go. Then we took the paycheck that would have been used to pay John 
Jones and Sue Smith and we put it into a trust fund to do nothing but 
deal with violent crime in America. And guess what--it worked.
  Since the Fund was established in the Biden Crime Bill, The Office of 
Management and Budget tells us that Congress had appropriated 
$16,648,000,000 from the fund through 1998, and $10,300,000,000 was 
estimated for 1999 and 2000 combined.
  What has this money done you ask? Just look at the numbers: To date, 
the money has funded more than 103,000 police officers under the COPS 
program to make our streets safer.
  As of 1999, over 17,000 new prison, jail or alternative beds had been 
added under the Violent Offender Incarceration/Truth-in-Sentencing 
Grants Program.
  Under the drug court program nationwide, more than 140,000 offenders 
have participated in drug courts, receiving the supervision and 
treatment they need to stop abusing drugs and committing crimes.
  Under the National Criminal History Improvement Program, enhancements 
to the FBI's National Criminal History Background Check System have 
helped block more than 400,000 gun sales to ineligible persons. And, 
program improvements now allow 35 states and the District of Columbia 
to submit data to the FBI's National Sex Offender Registry, which 
became operational in July 1999.
  The fund has provided money to states and localities to help offset 
the costs of incarcerating criminal illegal aliens under the State 
Criminal Alien Assistance Program.
  Under the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners 
program, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five 
territories, have implemented drug testing and treatment programs that 
address 80 percent of offenders who have drug or alcohol problems.
  Through the largest Violence Against Women Act program, funding for 
the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grants Program is changing the 
way communities work together to respond to domestic violence, sexual 
assault, and stalking.
  And there are other Violence Against Women Act grant programs which 
have had an impact on many communities. The Grants to Encourage Arrest 
Policies program encourages jurisdictions to implement mandatory or 
pro-arrest policies in domestic violence cases. The Rural Domestic 
Violence and Child Victimization Enforcement Grant Program has 
recognized the special needs of victims in rural locations. The Civil 
Legal Assistance Grant Program is designed to strengthen civil legal 
assistance for domestic abuse victims through innovative, collaborative 
programs that increase victim access to services. And, the Grants to 
Combat Violent Crimes Against Women on Campuses Program was first 
funded in FY 1999 to promote comprehensive, coordinated responses to 
violent crimes against women on campuses.
  The results of these efforts have taken hold. Crime is down--way 
down. And we didn't add 1 cent to the deficit.
  The significance of the Trust Fund, why it was so important, is 
because it funds the initiatives contained in the Biden Crime Bill. The 
money has to be used for new cops and crime prevention. It can't be 
spent on anything else but crime reduction. It is the one place that no 
one can compete. it is set

[[Page S550]]

aside. It is a savings account to fight crime.
  This fund works. It ensures that the crime reduction programs that we 
pass be funded. It ensures that the crime rate will continue to go down 
instead of up. It ensures that our kids will have a place to go after 
school instead of hanging out on the street corners. It ensures that 
violent crimes against women get the individualized attention that they 
need and deserve. It gives states money to hire more cops and get 
better technology.
  Today our challenge is to keep our focus and to stay vigilant against 
violent crime. This is one modest step toward meeting that challenge.
  This Act shares bipartisan support. No one wants crime and no one 
wants to raise taxes. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike--
this should be an easy one for all of us. In July of last year, during 
debate on the Commerce, Justice, State appropriations bill, my friend 
from New Hampshire, Senator Gregg, declared his commitment to get the 
Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund re-authorized. Senator Gramm has 
always stepped up to the plate on this issue as well, and I commend 
them for their commitment to this program. As Senator Byrd aptly stated 
back in 1994 when we were first debating this, ``the war on crime is of 
such an overriding concern that, as in the past, the Committee on 
Appropriations must take extraordinary actions to confront the issue.'' 
That still rings true today. Although crime is down, we can not become 
complacent. We must continue the fight. We need this Violent Crime 
Reduction Trust Fund more than any other single piece of legislation.
  Every member of the Senate is against violent crime--we all say it in 
speech after speech. Now, I urge all my colleagues to back up their 
words and follow through on their commitments to defeat violent crime. 
Pass this bill. Continue the Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund. Take 
serious action against violent crime. Show the criminals that we are 
serious about fighting crime. Show the American people that their 
safety is of the highest priority for us and that we are taking action.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2049

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION TRUST FUND.

       (a) In General.--Section 310001(b) of the Violent Crime 
     Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14211) is 
     amended by striking paragraphs (1) through (5) and inserting 
     the following:
       ``(1) for fiscal year 2001, $6,025,000,000;
       ``(2) for fiscal year 2002, $6,169,000,000;
       ``(3) for fiscal year 2003, $6,316,000,000;
       ``(4) for fiscal year 2004, $6,458,000,000; and
       ``(5) for fiscal year 2005, $6,616,000,000.''.
       (b) Discretionary Limits.--Title XXXI of the Violent Crime 
     Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14211 et 
     seq.) is amended by inserting after section 310001 the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 310002. DISCRETIONARY LIMITS.

       ``For the purposes of allocations made for the 
     discretionary category pursuant to section 302(a) of the 
     Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 633(a)), the term 
     `discretionary spending limit' means--
       ``(1) with respect to fiscal year 2001--
       ``(A) for the discretionary category, amounts of budget 
     authority and outlays necessary to adjust the discretionary 
     spending limits to reflect the changes in subparagraph (B) as 
     determined by the Chairman of the Budget Committee; and
       ``(B) for the violent crime reduction category: 
     $6,025,000,000 in new budget authority and $5,718,000,000 in 
     outlays;
       ``(2) with respect to fiscal year 2002--
       ``(A) for the discretionary category, amounts of budget 
     authority and outlays necessary to adjust the discretionary 
     spending limits to reflect the changes in subparagraph (B) as 
     determined by the Chairman of the Budget Committee; and
       ``(B) for the violent crime reduction category: 
     $6,169,000,000 in new budget authority and $6,020,000,000 in 
     outlays;
       ``(3) with respect to fiscal year 2003--
       ``(A) for the discretionary category, amounts of budget 
     authority and outlays necessary to adjust the discretionary 
     spending limits to reflect the changes in subparagraph (B) as 
     determined by the Chairman of the Budget Committee; and
       ``(B) for the violent crime reduction category: 
     $6,316,000,000 in new budget authority and $6,161,000,000 in 
     outlays;
       ``(4) with respect to fiscal year 2004--
       ``(A) for the discretionary category, amounts of budget 
     authority and outlays necessary to adjust the discretionary 
     spending limits to reflect the changes in subparagraph (B) as 
     determined by the Chairman of the Budget Committee; and
       ``(B) for the violent crime reduction category: 
     $6,459,000,000 in new budget authority and $6,303,000,000 in 
     outlays; and
       ``(5) with respect to fiscal year 2005--
       ``(A) for the discretionary category, amounts of budget 
     authority and outlays necessary to adjust the discretionary 
     spending limits to reflect the changes in subparagraph (B) as 
     determined by the Chairman of the Budget Committee; and
       ``(B) for the violent crime reduction category: $6,616,000 
     in new budget authority and $6,452,000,000 in outlays;

     as adjusted in accordance with section 251(b) of the Balanced 
     Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 
     901(b)) and section 314 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
     1974.''.
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