The House Appropriations Committee passed the fiscal 2010 Commerce, Justice and science subcommittee spending bill today by a voice vote, with $27.7 billion for the Justice Department. As expected, the panel eliminated $60 million requested for closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, with lawmakers complaining about a lack of a plan for transferring the detainees.
The DOJ budget as approved by the committee is 3 percent more than President Obama’s fiscal 2010 budget request and 6 percent more than fiscal 2009 budget. The bill — which also covers funding for science and the Commerce Department — is expected to be considered by the full House next week.
Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.), chair of the Commerce, Justice and science subcommittee, touted the funding increases to several key DOJ programs including grants for state and local law enforcement agencies. Local and state law enforcement agencies are slated to receive $3.4 billion in grants — $671 million more than Obama’s request and $197 million more than last year — to help hire thousands of police officers and improve crime prevention programs, Mollohan said.
“It is a good bill and it is a balanced bill,” Mollohan said at the markup today.
Here’s a summary from the House Appropriation Committee on the slated allocations (in millions of dollars):
|
DOJ Program |
FY 2009 |
FY 2010 Obama Request |
FY 2010 Committee Recommendation |
Change From FY 2009 |
Percent Change From FY 2009 |
|
Detention Trustee |
1,295.3 |
1,438.7 |
1,438.7 |
+143.4 |
+11 percent |
|
U.S. Attorneys |
1,836.3 |
1,926.0 |
1,934.0 |
+97.7 |
+5 percent |
|
U.S. Marshals Service |
954.0 |
1,152.4 |
1,152.4 |
+198.4 |
+21 percent |
|
FBI |
7,218.6 |
7,861.5 |
7,851.5 |
+632.9 |
+9 percent |
|
DEA |
1,939.1 |
2,014.7 |
2,019.7 |
+80.6 |
+4 percent |
|
ATF |
1,054.2 |
1,120.8 |
1,105.8 |
+51.6 |
+5 percent |
|
Bureau of Prisons |
6,173.9 |
6,079.3 |
6,176.7 |
+2.8 |
0 percent |
|
State and Local Law Enforcement Activities |
3,227.1 |
2,753.5 |
3,424.0 |
+196.9 |
+6 percent |
|
DOJ Total |
26,087.6 |
27,073.9 |
27,746.7 |
+1,659.1 |
+6 percent |
Republicans objected to the increase in funds slated for the Justice Department. Appropriations Ranking Member Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) proposed an amendment that would have decreased the funds slated for the Justice Department, Commerce Department and science programs by 14 percent. The amendment failed 21-31.
“This generous allocation allows every agency a significant increase,” said Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.), Commerce, Justice and science subcommittee ranking member. He added: “This level of spending is unsustainable in the light of the growing deficit.”
Only a handful of DOJ programs are slated to receive less money than last year or no funds at all. Among those initiatives is Obama’s executive order to close down the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Like the wartime spending bill, the Appropriations bill calls for a plan before money can be allocated for its closure. Here’s a summary from the House Appropriations Committee on these initiatives:
|
Program |
Bill Recommendation |
Funds Cut From FY 2009 |
Funds Cut From Obama Request |
Terminated? |
Why? |
|
Coverdell Forensic Science program |
N/A |
$25,000,000 |
$35,000,000 |
Yes |
“Program terminated to support higher priority program” |
|
Federal Bureau of Prisons: buildings and facilities |
$96,744,000 |
$479,063,000 |
None |
No |
“Deferral of new construction starts” |
|
FBI construction |
$132,796,000 |
$20,695,000 |
$10,000,000 |
No |
“No new construction starts” |
|
ATF salaries and expenses |
$1,105,772,000 |
None |
$9,000,000 |
No |
“Program reductions to support higher priority programs” |
|
Justice Information Sharing Technology |
$109,417,000 |
None |
$14,200 |
No |
“Reduction given (for) poor program performance” |
|
Interagency Crime and Drug Enforcement |
$528,569,000 |
None |
$8,938,000 |
No |
“Reduction to support higher priority programs” |
|
Weed and Seed program |
$15,000,000 |
$10,000,000 |
$10,000,000 |
No |
No explanation given. |
|
Public Safety Officers Benefits |
$119,100,000 |
$49,000,000 |
None |
No |
No explanation given. |
|
Closing Guantanamo |
N/A |
New Initiative |
$60,000,000 |
Maybe |
“Pending closure plan” |
|
Police Integrity |
N/A |
New Initiative |
$20,000,000 |
Yes |
“Activities can be funded through existing program authorities” |
|
Safe Start Program |
$7,000,000 |
New Initiative |
$3,000,000 |
No |
“Reduction to support higher priority programs” |
|
Community-based violence prevention initiative |
$18,000,000 |
New Initiative |
$7,000,000 |
No |
“Reduction to support higher priority programs” |
The committee also approved an amendment to the bill by Mollohan that calls on the Justice Department to clarify its policies on the enforcement of federal laws regarding the use of medical marijuana.
Attorney General Eric Holder has said that he does not support the raiding of medical marijuana facilities, but the DOJ’s Drug Enforcement Administration has continued to conduct raids. You can read our previous post on this issue here.
