[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 18 (Tuesday, February 14, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H240]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           PRESIDENT'S BUDGET

  (Mr. OSBORNE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, last year, the President's budget zeroed 
out the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program, and this was 
devastating to the drug task forces around the country. Byrne funds are 
the primary source of funds for drug task forces and are critical in 
combating methamphetamine abuse.
  Congress restored $410 million of Byrne funds, but this is way short 
of the $1.1 billion of authorized spending that was allowed. The State 
of Texas was forced to eliminate drug task forces, and other States are 
now considering doing so.
  The President's 2007 budget proposal again eliminates Byrne funds. 
Unless Congress restores these funds at an adequate level, we will lose 
the drug task forces in nearly all of our States. This is our most 
effective means of combating methamphetamine abuse. For every $1 that 
we spend on education and prevention, we get $9 at the back end and 
save costs on imprisonment, crime and all the things that are attendant 
to methamphetamine abuse.
  Meth is sweeping across the country, and we certainly urge the 
Congress to restore these funds as rapidly as we can.

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