[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 174 (Friday, December 14, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13290-S13291]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SECRET HOLDS ON THE 21ST CENTURY DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE APPROPRIATIONS 
                           AUTHORIZATION ACT

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I am disappointed that one or more 
Republican Senators are holding up final passage of the 21st Century 
Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act, H.R. 2215.
  This bipartisan bill is supported by the Bush Administration and 
cosponsored by Senator Hatch, the ranking Republican Member of the 
Judiciary Committee. It was unanimously approved by the Senate 
Judiciary Committee back on October 30.
  This bill, with a bipartisan amendment authored by Senator Hatch and 
myself, has cleared the Democratic cloakroom for final passage but 
someone on the other side of the aisle has placed a secret hold on it. 
I would urge my Republican friends to permit the Senate to take up and 
pass this critical legislation.
  The 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization 
Act, provides permanent enabling authorities which will allow the 
Department of Justice to efficiently carry out its mission.
  At a time when the Department of Justice is conducting the most 
sweeping investigation into terrorist conspiracies in our Nation's 
history, the Senate should pass this legislation.
  Indeed, Title II our bipartisan bill provides the Department of 
Justice with additional law enforcement tools in the war against 
terrorism. Section 201 permits the FBI to enter into cooperative 
projects with foreign countries to improve law enforcement or 
intelligence operations, and Section 210 provides special ``danger 
pay'' allowances for FBI agents in hazardous duty locations outside the 
United States.
  In addition, the bill as passed by the Committee, contains language 
offered by Senator Feinstein to authorize a number of new judgeships.

[[Page S13291]]

  Title III of this bipartisan legislation authorizes eight new 
permanent judgeships as follows: five judgeships in the Southern 
District of California; two judgeships in the Western District of 
Texas; and one judgeship in the Western District of North Carolina. 
Section 312 would also convert two temporary judgeships in Illinois 
into permanent judgeships, create one new temporary judgeship in the 
Western District of North Carolina, and extend the temporary judgeship 
in the Northern District of Ohio for five years.
  I strongly support Senator Feinstein's amendment, as do many of my 
colleagues on the Judiciary Committee on a bipartisan basis, including 
Senator DeWine, Senator Durbin, Senator Edwards, and others. I believe 
that the need for these new judgeships is acute.
  Finally, the bill creates a separate Violence Against Women Office to 
combat domestic violence. This section of the bill was crafted by 
Senator Biden and Senator Specter--another bipartisan partnership in 
this legislation. There is strong bipartisan support in the House and 
Senate to create a separate Violence Against Women Office within the 
Department of Justice.
  Senator Hatch and I have also worked together to craft a bipartisan 
floor amendment which compiles a comprehensive authorization of expired 
and new Department of Justice grants programs and improvements to 
criminal law and procedures.
  For example, our bipartisan floor amendment authorizes Department of 
Justice grants to establish 4,000 Boys and Girls Clubs across the 
country before January 1, 2007. This bipartisan amendment authorizes 
Department of Justice grants for each of the next 5 years to establish 
1,200 additional Boys and Girls Clubs across the Nation. In fact, this 
will bring the number of Boys and Girls Clubs to 4,000. That means they 
will serve approximately 6 million young people by January 1, 2007.
  In 1997, I was very proud to join with Senator Hatch and others to 
pass bipartisan legislation to authorize grants by the Department of 
Justice to fund 2,500 Boys and Girls Clubs across the Nation. We 
increased the Department of Justice grant funding for the Boys and 
Girls Clubs from $20 million in 1998 to $60 million in 2001. That is 
one reason why we have now 2,591 Boys and Girls Clubs in all 50 States 
and 3.3 million children are being served. It is quite a success story.
  But the authorization for these Department of Justice grants to Boys 
and Girls Clubs across the country has expired. This bipartisan 
legislation will renew and expand these grants.
  Parents, educators, law enforcement officers, and others know we need 
safe havens where young people can learn and grow up free from the 
influence of the drugs and gangs and crime. That is why the Boys and 
Girls Clubs are so important to our Nation's children.
  Our bipartisan amendment also includes the Drug Abuse Education, 
Prevention, and Treatment Act of 2001. I am pleased that we have 
included in this package the version of S. 304 that the Judiciary 
Committee passed unanimously on November 29. This legislation ushers in 
a new, bipartisan approach to our efforts to reduce drug abuse in the 
United States. It was introduced by Senator Hatch and I in February. 
Senator Hatch held an excellent hearing on the bill in March, the 
Judiciary Committee has approved it, and the full Senate should follow 
the committee's lead. This is a bill that is embraced by Democrats and 
Republicans alike, as well as law enforcement officers and drug 
treatment providers.
  This legislation provides a comprehensive approach to reducing drug 
abuse in America. I hope that the innovative programs established by 
this legislation will assist all of our States in their efforts to 
address the drug problems that most affect our communities.
  Our bipartisan amendment also includes provisions to protect 
witnesses who provide information on criminal activity to law 
enforcement officials by increasing maximum sentences and other 
improvements to the criminal code.
  And our bipartisan legislation contains amendments, authored by 
Senator Sessions, that modify the Paul Coverdell National Forensic 
Science Improvement Act of 2000 to enhance participation by local crime 
labs and to allow for DNA backlog elimination. I was proud to cosponsor 
the Coverdell grants bill last year and support it to help bring the 
necessary forensic technology to all states to improve their criminal 
justice systems.
  The 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization 
Act should result in more effective, as well as efficient, Department 
of Justice for the American people. But it must pass the Senate soon 
and be reconciled with the House-passed bill in a conference.
  I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to lift the 
secret hold on this bipartisan legislation to support the Department of 
Justice.

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