Feingold Urges Committee to Support Valuable Law Enforcement Byrne Grants Joins Colleagues in Pressing Committee to Overturn President’s Decision to Eliminate the Byrne Grant Program April 14, 2004 Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold today joined a bipartisan group of his Senate colleagues in asking the Senate Appropriations Committee to overturn the President's decision and fund a resource for law enforcement grants known as the "Byrne Grant program." The President's proposed budget for next year cuts the Byrne Grant program completely. The letter Feingold sent with his colleagues asks that the committee to keep the Byrne Grant program by funding it at the $659 million level it was funded at this year. The President also tried to cut Byrne Grants last year, but Feingold and some of his colleagues were part of a similar effort that helped to save the program. "These grants are a valuable resource for many communities in Wisconsin and throughout the country," Feingold said. "I believe that we must keep grant programs like Byrne up and running so that law enforcement officials are able to get the resources they need to continue combating crime." The Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Grant Program is a partnership among federal, state, and local governments to create safer communities. Byrne Grants support multi-jurisdictional drug task forces, drug courts, drug education and prevention programs, and many other efforts to reduce drug abuse and prosecute drug offenders. Grants may be used to provide personnel, equipment, training, technical assistance, and information systems for more widespread apprehension, prosecution, adjudication, detention, and rehabilitation of offenders who violate drug related laws at the state and local level. Grants also may be used to provide assistance (other than compensation) to victims of these offenders. "Unfortunately, the President's proposed budget eliminates funding for the Byrne Grant Program. Our request would fund it at the same amount as in FY 04," the letter read. "Anything less would be a serious step backward in the war against illegal drugs and the criminals who continue to prey upon our citizens."

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