[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 89 (Monday, June 15, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1416-E1417]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          EARMARK DECLARATION

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JOHN ABNEY CULBERSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 15, 2009

  Mr. CULBERSON. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership 
standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information 
regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2847, the FY2010 
Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill:
  Requesting Member: Congressman John Culberson.
  Bill Number: H.R. 2847
  Account: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Byrne 
Grant account.
  Legal Name and Address of Requesting Entity: Texas Border Sheriff's 
Coalition, 4141 Pinnacle Suite 213, El Paso, Texas 79902.
  Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $4,850,000 to the Texas 
Border Sheriff's Coalition. It is my understanding that the funding 
would be used to pay for overtime, hire additional deputies, and 
purchase equipment for the Sheriffs along the Texas-Mexico border to 
secure the border against drug and human smugglers. Texas Border 
Sheriff's Coalition was organized on May 4, 2005 and is represented by 
the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of each respective county along the 
Texas-Mexico border. Texas Sheriffs are empowered by the Texas 
Constitution to protect the lives, property, and the rights of the 
people, maintain order and security in the United States along the 
Texas border with the Republic of Mexico to enforce the law 
impartially, and provide police service in partnership with other law 
enforcement agencies and community partners. Sheriffs are totally 
accountable to the people of their county.
  The Texas border county sheriffs have received funding from Congress 
in the last 3 appropriations cycles to defend our borders. They are 
using this funding to put more deputies on the streets, purchase 
equipment, and reduce illegal crossings.
  Requesting Member: Congressman John Culberson.
  Bill Number: H.R. 2847
  Account: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, COPS 
account.
  Legal Name and Address of Requesting Entity: City of Houston, Mayor's 
Office of Public Safety & Homeland Security, 900 Bagby, 2nd Floor, 
Houston, Texas 77002.
  Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $1,350,000 to the City 
of Houston to acquire interoperable communications equipment so that 
the city's first responders can communicate on a 700MHz trunked public 
safety radio system that will provide full and continuous 
interoperability with the 800MHz regional radio system. Communications 
in the Houston area are hampered by incompatible and aging equipment, 
disparate radio systems, and limited funding. First responders in 
Houston are responsible for protecting the highest density of critical 
infrastructure in Texas, including the Port of Houston, the 
petrochemical industry, the largest medical center in the world, and 
extensive commercial assets.
  Requesting Member: Congressman John Culberson.
  Bill Number: H.R. 2847
  Account: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Byrne 
Grant account.
  Legal Name and Address of Requesting Entity: City of Houston, Mayor's 
Office of Public Safety & Homeland Security, 900 Bagby, 2nd Floor, 
Houston, Texas 77002.
  Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $350,000 for the 
Targeted Narcotics Enforcement Team (TNET) in Houston. TNET is an 
enforcement group whose mission is to carry out investigations 
addressing the broad spectrum of drug trafficking in and through the 
Houston region. Their goal is to identify, target, and disrupt or 
dismantle major drug trafficking organizations operating on a regional 
scale. TNET also works through its coalition of investigators, 
attorneys, inspectors, and citizen groups to target the dealers and end 
users that make the drug trafficking organizations profitable. With 
drug violence spilling over into the streets of Houston, this funding 
will help provide resources needed for TNET to continue their mission.
  Requesting Member: Congressman John Culberson.
  Bill Number: H.R. 2847 Account: Department of Commerce, National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Operations, Research and 
Facilities account.
  Legal Name and Address of Requesting Entity: The JASON Project, 44983 
Knoll Square, Suite 150, Ashburn, VA 20147.
  Description of Request: Provide an earmark for $4,000,000 for the 
development of standards-based science curriculum for middle school 
students and professional development programs to increase teacher 
effectiveness. America's economic prosperity rests on scientific and 
technological prosperity. Every major organization representing 
education, business and government has documented the critical 
situation in U.S. science, technology, engineering and mathematics 
(STEM) education and issued a call for aggressive action. This 
initiative by The JASON Project will be used to develop a standards-
based science curriculum for middle school students, and professional 
development programs to increase teacher effectiveness. These materials 
will help prepare U.S. students to enter a competitive global workplace 
in the STEM fields, enabling our nation to remain at the forefront in 
research, development and technology.

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