Federal Funding Bill for Law Enforcement, Drug Abuse Treatment and Science Heads to U.S. House for Approval

Statement

U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers (KY-05) applauds the House Appropriations Committee for approving the fiscal year 2018 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill. The bill funds the Departments of Commerce and Justice, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and other related agencies.

The legislation contains $56 billion in total discretionary funding, a decrease of $542 million below fiscal year 2017 and $4 billion above the President's request for these programs. The bill targets funding increases for national security -- including cybercrime, counter-terrorism and espionage. The bill also provides increases for federal law enforcement to crack down on illegal immigration, and combat violent crime, gangs and opioid trafficking. Funds are included to help boost trade enforcement, continue investments in space exploration programs, and advance groundbreaking science and technologies essential for innovation, productivity, and economic growth. In order to make these investments, lower-priority programs are reduced or eliminated.

The committee also rejected the Trump Administration's proposal to rescind funding previously secured in fiscal year 2016 for construction of a federal prison in Letcher County.

"This bill funds the first comprehensive and holistic attack on deadly opioid overdoses. It has robust funding for the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), maintains funding for drug courts and residential substance treatment programs, increases funding for the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, methamphetamine lab cleanups and youth mentoring programs. This is a wholesale attack on this national epidemic identified by the CDC," said Chairman Rogers in his opening statement. "I'm also pleased that funding remains intact for construction of the federal prison in Letcher County, and the project will continue as scheduled."

In addition to comprehensive funding to combat the drug abuse epidemic, Chairman Rogers advocated for $30 million to continue economic development assistance for coal mining communities; $95 million for the Bureau of Prisons for construction, acquisition and maintenance of prison facilities; $300 million for Legal Services Corporation, a funding source that has recently assisted victims of the Eric C. Conn fiasco in Eastern Kentucky; and space science research, which will help continue competitive programs at the University of Kentucky and Morehead State University.

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