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Press Release: Rep. Grimm Adds Two Pro-Law Enforcement Amendments to House Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON, DC – This evening, Congressman Michael G. Grimm (R,C-NY) successfully amended the House Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Act (H.R. 5326) with language to fully fund the Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) Program, which helps different levels of law enforcement share information to fight crime and terrorism, and with additional language to fund the COPS hiring program.
“Our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line each and every day to keep our communities safe from crime and violence, so it is imperative that our local police are fully staffed and equipped with the all the tools they need,” said Grimm. “I support making responsible budget decisions, and that is why these amendments were drafted to be budget neutral and don’t add a dime to government spending. I am proud to stand up for our city’s heroes and am pleased that my colleagues joined me in doing the same to pass these important amendments.”
The RISS amendment, introduced with Reps. Peter King (R-NY) and Lou Barletta (R-PA), restores funding for regional information sharing activities to the FY2011 funding level of $45 million, and is fully offset by reducing funding for NOAA climate research. RISS is a valuable tool that helps nearly 9,000 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories share information more effectively in order to combat terrorism, dangerous criminals, gangs, and sex offenders. Since 2000, RISS support has yielded $942.5 million in narcotics, property and case seizures alone (a 223% return on federal investment) and contributed to more than 57,360 arrests. The amendment passed with a vote of 209-199.
The COPS amendment, introduced with Reps. Pedro Pierluisi (D-PR), Peter King (R-NY), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), and Lou Barletta (R-PA), would fund the COPS Program at the Fiscal Year 2012 level of $166 million, which is $122 million above the amount provided in the base bill. This amendment will help ensure that we have sufficient police officers on our streets to prevent and respond to crime and to keep our neighborhoods safe. It is supported by of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers. The amendment passed the House with a vote of 206-204.
