[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 157 (Thursday, December 8, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2482]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2862, DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE AND JUSTICE, 
         SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2006

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 8, 2005

  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the 
conference report on H.R. 2862, the Departments of Commerce and 
Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, for Fiscal 
Year 2006, though I do so with reservations.
  This conference report, while providing increased funding from the 
House-passed legislation, still fails to provide adequate funding 
levels for state and local law enforcement. However, I am pleased that 
Congress rejected the Administration's proposal to eliminate funding 
for the COPS program, which is critical to our local law enforcement 
agencies that are already underfunded. Funding for local and state law 
enforcement assistance in this legislation funded at $1,142.7 million, 
which, although significantly less than was provided in 2001, is an 
increase from the House-funded level of $1,069.2 million. Along with 
many of my colleagues, I would have supported further increases in 
funding for our state and local law enforcement and intend to work to 
make this a priority in the next Congress. We owe our law enforcement 
officers the tools they need to protect our communities and our 
families.
  I was also extremely surprised and disappointed that the conferees 
stripped the amendment offered by Mr. Sanders that passed in the House 
overwhelmingly, by a vote of 238-187, during consideration of H.R. 
2862. This critical amendment would have barred funds to carry out 
provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act permitting law enforcement officials 
to obtain records from booksellers and librarians. This amendment was a 
reasonable and needed amendment that would have restored the much-
needed Congressional oversight to FBI searches.
  Congress wisely rejected the Administration's significant cuts to the 
Legal Services Corporation in this report. The Legal Services 
Corporation is funded at $330.8 million in this report, a $12.6 million 
increase over the President's request. Legal Services Corporation makes 
a significant impact in the lives of many vulnerable citizens, and is 
often the only reason low-income families have access to our justice 
system.
  In order for the U.S. to remain competitive and in order to ensure a 
skilled workforce in this global marketplace, we must continue to make 
critical and strategic investments in science and research. Science, 
and science education, are crucial elements to our society and our 
daily lives. I was very pleased with the funding for the science 
agencies, including NASA, and the National Science Foundation. NASA and 
NSF received increases of $273 million and $180.2 million respectively, 
both of which represent larger investments than the President's 
request.
  I will support this conference report today, because it reflects an 
overall increase in investments for our future.

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