HOUSE PASSES DAVIS AMENDMENT RESTORING METH FUNDING June 29, 2006

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis announced the House accepted his amendment to the Fiscal Year '07 Science, State, Justice and Commerce Appropriations Act restoring $50 million in funding for a program vital to combating meth abuse.

Since 2001, the White House has attempted to zero out funding for the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants. In April, there was a successful effort to include $900 million for Byrne-JAG within the FY07 House Budget Resolution. However, appropriators chose to only include $367 million for Byrne in the SSJC appropriations bills.

"Tennessee’s twenty-six Judicial District Drug Task Force’s are heavily dependent on Byrne-JAG funding to combat meth and destroy organized drug trafficking," said Davis. "The proposed funding would have crippled these task forces and jeopardized the recent gains made in reducing meth abuse."

The proposed amendment adds $50 million to Byrne-JAG for FY 2007 by offsetting the $72 million funding increase planned for the U.S. Census. According to the National Narcotic Officers' Associations Coalition, the Byrne-JAG program is one of the most important tools state and local law enforcement agencies have in fostering cooperation in the intergovernmental fight against drug trafficking on America's streets.

A bipartisan group of Congressmen worked together to ensure local law enforcement has the resources needed to eliminate drug threats. These Members include Representatives Lincoln Davis (D-TN), Lee Terry (R-NE), Mark Kennedy (R-MN), Bart Stupak (D-MI), Jim Ramstad (R-MN), Mark Souder (R-IN), Steve King (R-IA), Rick Larsen (D-WA), Jim Matheson (D-UT), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Darlene Hooley (D-OR).