Speech #1100106633

Is for new police officers. bulletproof vests. combating methamphetamine. law enforcement technology enhancements. arresting and prosecuting child predatorsthe Vitter amendment would cut off Federal funds for efforts to arrest and prosecute child predatorsand a lot of other important programs. This COPS money is focused on helping State and local law enforcement stop violent crime. stop crimes against children. stop sexual predators. Similarly. cities and police departments have put policies in place regarding the confidentiality of immigration status so they can focus on stopping violent crime. and so law enforcement officials can obtain information about crimes from victims and witnesses in communities where they might not otherwise be able to obtain it. The goal of reducing violent crime is not served by telling police departments they can either have one crime reduction toolthe COPS moneyor anotherthese confidentiality policies. Do we want to deprive police forces in 23 States additional manpower. men and women on the beat. keeping schools and neighborhoods safe. and deny these same police men and women bulletproof vests through the COPS Program. because local officials have determined when it comes to the enforcement of Federal immigration laws. the Federal Government should assume that enforcement? That is what it comes down to. We do have a serious immigration problem in this country. I votedmost Members. maybe all Members have votedfor some $7 billion more in enforcement at the border between the United States and Mexico. We have to stop the illegal flow into this country. I think we have put our money where our intentions are. That is a fact. Earlier this year. we considered comprehensive immigration reform that would also have greatly improved the enforcement of our immigration laws. I supported this effort. It was controversial. We did not have enough votes. The Senator who has brought this amendment to the floor. which would cut off COPS funding. opposed any effort for a comprehensive immigration reform. Instead. he wants to force on State and local governments a responsibility we have not met at the Federal level. and he wants to threaten them with cutting off COPS funds that are critically important for them. I do not think that works.