[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 87 (Thursday, June 29, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1334]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SCIENCE, STATE, JUSTICE, COMMERCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS 
                               ACT, 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. JERRY WELLER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 27, 2006

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R 5672) making 
     appropriations for Science, the Departments of State, 
     Justice, and Commerce, and related agencies for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2007, and for other purposes:

  Mr. WELLER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the 
amendment offered by the gentleman from Minnesota, Mr. Kennedy to H.R. 
5672, the Science, State, Justice, Commerce, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2007.
  The amendment in question would increase the funding for the Edward 
Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program by $50 million which would bring 
the committee's total mark for the program to $608 million. I strongly 
believe passage of this amendment is critical. The Edward Byrne Justice 
Grant Program provides States and local units of government the 
necessary flexibility in creating programs to address local needs when 
it comes to crime prevention and enforcement.
  A prime example of how this funding can lead to great success in a 
community happened just yesterday back in my home district. In LaSalle 
County, Illinois, a anti-drug task force was established to address the 
growing problem of drug use in many of their communities.
  Yesterday, this anti-drug task force arrested the brother of the head 
of the Chicago-based gang called Gangsters Disciples for dealing heroin 
and cocaine in the county. The apprehension of this dangerous criminal 
will further reduce the heroin and cocaine flowing into LaSalle County.
  The reason this arrest was such a great success story of the Edward 
Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program is that the task force is funded 
almost entirely by Byrne grant funding. The success story in LaSalle 
County, Illinois, is one of many from the Byrne grant program.
  In closing Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Chairman Frank Wolf for 
providing a $142 million increase from last year's funding level for 
our local police forces. I also want to thank Congressman Kennedy for 
offering this critical amendment that will provide our local law 
enforcement officers with a larger pool of funding to further protect 
our communities. I urge all my colleagues in the House of 
Representatives to support its passage.

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