[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 112 (Friday, July 25, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1611]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND STATE, THE JUDICIARY, AND RELATED 
                   AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2004

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. HENRY BONILLA

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 24, 2003

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2799) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and 
     State, the Judiciary, and related agencies for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2004, and for other purposes:

  Mr. BONILLA. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Fiscal Year 2004 
Commerce, Justice, State and the Judiciary Appropriations Act. This 
bill includes funding which will help protect and strengthen the many 
communities in the 23rd district. I am particularly pleased that the 
report to accompany this bill includes language which will be 
beneficial to those communities which contract with the Federal Bureau 
of Prisons for the detention of inmates. The report originally included 
language encouraging the Bureau of Prisons to use existing state and 
private prison capacity to meet their bed space needs. At my request, 
this language was amended to add local prisons to the list of 
facilities which the Bureau of Prisons is directed to use. This small 
but important change will direct the Bureau of Prisons to take 
advantage of existing locally run detention facilities such as the 
Reeves County Detention Center. It is my sincere hope that the newest 
1,000 bed facility at the Reeves County Detention Center will be 
utilized by the Bureau of Prisons to provide cost effective housing to 
federal prisoners. Use of this facility would be particularly 
beneficial to the Bureau given the low cost of housing inmates in this 
area. I thank Chairman Frank Wolf for his attention to this matter 
which is of great importance to Reeves County and saves taxpayer 
dollars.

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