[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 31, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1662-E1663]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2008

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 31, 2007

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3093) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, 
     and Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 2008, and for other purposes:

  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of 
H.R. 3093, the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill.
  This legislation includes $175,000,000 for a DNA analysis and 
capacity enhancement program and other local, State, and Federal 
forensic activities. Of this funding, not less than $151,000,000 is 
directed toward the Debbie

[[Page E1663]]

Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program which helps to reduce and eliminate the 
backlog of DNA samples and increase State and local DNA laboratory 
capacity .
  I introduced legislation named after Debbie Smith in 2001. In 2004 
this bill was signed into law and since that time, Congress has 
consistently shown its support for this valuable program. With this 
funding we help ensure that other rape survivors will not have to wait 
as long as Debbie did to put their assailant behind bars.
  I want to acknowledge the funding in the bill for efforts to combat 
human trafficking. It is important that we protect the victims of the 
sex trade industry, and punish the predators that exploit them. While 
human trafficking is a problem in other countries, it is happening here 
in the United States too.
  I also want to thank Chairman Mollohan and Ranking Member 
Frelinghuysen for their dedication to fully funding the Census Bureau's 
needs. As we head into the final two years before the decennial census 
in 2010, funding for the census is now more critical than ever. This 
bill fully funds the ramp-up to this constitutionally mandated survey, 
and restores the funding that the Bush administration cut for the 
decennial census partnership program. Partnerships are an essential 
component of the decennial census effort, enlisting local community 
leaders and organizations to partner with the Census Bureau to use 
existing community relationships to promote census participation.
  Mr. Mollohan and Mr. Frelinghuysen should also be commended for 
providing funds to once again continue the Survey of Income and Program 
Participation. Last year, the Bush administration proposed eliminating 
this survey, which is the only source of policy-relevant data on 
economic well-being and participation in government programs, and 
replacing it with a more limited survey a few years from now. After 
much discussion with members of Congress and the stakeholder community, 
the Administration came to the conclusion that their plan to replace 
the SIPP was not viable, and they changed course, advocating a 
continuation of the SIPP. While they had not requested enough money in 
the budget to do so, Mr. Mollohan and Mr. Frelinghuysen came through to 
provide the necessary funds.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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