[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 15]
[House]
[Pages 20758-20759]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    FIGHTING CRIME AND HELPING WOMEN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today we have had under 
consideration the Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations 
legislation, which has a far-reaching impact on a number of issues that 
America and Americans are facing today. All over

[[Page 20759]]

America we have seen statistics for crime going up, major cities being 
impacted, and particularly seeing the numbers of law enforcement 
officers stretched to the ultimate. In fact, in my own City of Houston, 
big billboards say, Dallas, bonus for police officers who will relocate 
to Dallas.
  At the same time, Houston is seeing a sizeable drop in the law 
enforcement officers that are able to patrol the street, losing almost 
1,000 to 1,200. More funding is needed. That is why I applaud today the 
increased funding and the refunding for Community Oriented Policing 
Services, $725 million, $693 million over the President's request and 
$183 million above 2007.
  Frankly, we had eliminated, under this administration and the past 
Congress, the Community Oriented Policing process. I know it firsthand, 
because our former chief of police and former mayor of the City of 
Houston could be considered the father of community-oriented policing; 
that is chief, former mayor, Lee P. Brown. We saw the results of such a 
program when police persons knew the neighborhood; they knew the good 
guys and the bad guys.
  It was a mistake, a wrong-headed mistake, for this administration to 
drastically cut the cops-on-the-beat program. It works. It works for 
hamlets in rural areas. It works for big cities and middle-sized cities 
and small cities. I am glad this bill focuses on restoring to the 
American public the law enforcement it needs. I hope as we move to the 
other body and build this bill, that the President will sign increased 
funding for more officers who know the community and can enforce the 
law.
  We need to bring the crime statistics down and help to save lives. 
Hijacking and carjacking of cars, busting into homes, drug running is 
taking over our communities because of the lack of law enforcement that 
know the community and are able to be trusted by the community.
  Let me also note the fact that we have funded, in addition to the 
amendments passed today, the Women Against Violence Act and the Office 
of Violence Against Women Act. I was very pleased, as a member of the 
Judiciary Committee, to be one of those who helped reauthorize the VAWA 
Act, which now is being funded over these years.
  It is crucial that, in addition to providing for a Violence Against 
Women program to the United States, that we also include protecting 
immigrant women who sometimes are left destitute because their 
immigrant husband is abusing them, and they then become unstatus 
because the husband has left them. This is a very important program as 
well.
  Let me cite the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 
Prevention, $400 million, $62 million above 2007. It speaks to some of 
the crises that we are facing in the juvenile justice system. It is a 
wrong-headed system, more incarceration than rehabilitation. We need to 
direct these funds to do more rehabilitation and to be able to steer 
our children in the right direction.
  It is more than important as well, as we fund the Federal Bureau of 
Prisons, that we study the question of the early release program for 
nonviolent prisoners. I hope to offer such an amendment. Our prisons 
are overcrowded. We have the largest number of incarcerated persons, 
but it is well known that because of the mandatory sentencing, we have 
individuals who are, in fact, incarcerated who can be released. Let us 
find a pathway to studying the early release of prisoners in the 
Federal system, and I am looking forward to putting such an amendment 
forward.
  As a strong proponent of the National Foundation for Science, science 
research, aeronautics, space exploration, under the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration, I thank the chairman, Chairman 
Mollohan, for funding those programs in a balanced manner. It may not 
be all that we want, but I am very glad to see exploration of $3.9 
billion, $467 million over 2007 and the same as the President's 
request, has been funded.
  Let me say that one of the issues that should be included, however, 
if we go to space, we need to be safe. My legislation dealing with the 
international space station and a safety commission needs to be 
reemphasized, and I will have an amendment to that extent.
  Might I also say that it is very important, as we look at a number of 
issues around America, including law enforcement, that we provide 
interoperable equipment for our workers who are dealing with the 
public.
  In Houston it is a tragedy that the bus workers that work for the 
metro system don't have communication devices that they drive the buses 
around our city. I am hoping to offer an amendment that will emphasize 
that.
  This is important legislation that we are moving forward, including 
support for the legal services. I look forward to debating this bill 
and supporting it as we help America and help the American people.

                          ____________________