[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 92 (Thursday, June 18, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1494]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2010

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. GARY G. MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 16, 2009

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2847) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, 
     and Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 2010, and for other purposes:

  Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the 
Mollohan Amendment, which increases funding for the State Criminal 
Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) by $100 million.
  Each year, American taxpayers spend over $36 billion to provide 
health care, education, and incarceration to illegal immigrants. In 
2005, the Government Accountability Office found that states spend more 
than $1.7 billion each year alone to incarcerate criminal aliens. 
Unfortunately, Congress has only reimbursed about 20 percent of these 
local expenditures over the years through the State Criminal Alien 
Assistance Program. The difference between actual expenditures and the 
SCAAP reimbursement level is particularly dramatic for my home state of 
California, which has the largest number of incarcerated illegal 
criminal aliens of any state in the nation. This year, the cost to 
California alone is estimated to be $1 billion.
  This year, the Administration proposed to terminate SCAAP by 
requesting no funding for this important program for Fiscal Year 2010. 
At a time when states, especially California, are experiencing 
unprecedented budget challenges, it is irresponsible for the 
Administration to terminate this program and place the costly burden of 
our nation's failed immigration policies on state governments. We 
cannot afford to eliminate or reduce this vital program, which already 
falls far short of what states and local governments actually spend to 
incarcerate illegal criminal aliens.
  Although I am pleased that House appropriators went against the will 
of the Administration by including $300 million for SCAAP in H.R. 2847, 
the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations 
Act, this is still a far cry from acceptable. My colleagues and I have 
offered an amendment to increase SCAAP funding by $100 million, which 
will fund the program at a grand total of $400 million for Fiscal Year 
2010, which is equal to last year's funding.
  If Congress fails to increase funding for SCAAP, states will be 
forced to cut many of our local law enforcement agencies including 
sheriffs, police officers, anti-gang violence units, and district 
attorney offices. Taxpayers should not be burdened with funding the 
incarceration of criminal aliens who, by law, are the responsibility of 
the federal government. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support this 
important amendment and provide the resources necessary to our state 
and local governments.

                          ____________________