Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 -- Continued

Floor Speech

CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008--Continued -- (Senate - December 18, 2007)

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Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I rise today to offer my distinct dismay with the outcome of what has become omnibus funding legislation for 11 of the 13 appropriations bills for fiscal year 2008. H.R. 2764 is a sad testament to Congress's inability to draft and pass responsible Federal funding legislation. I am very disappointed that critical funding for drug abuse education efforts, crime victims and, more specifically, victims of domestic violence has been stripped from this bill. Idaho will lose more than 10 percent of Victims of Crime Act Funding, money, incidentally, which was never supposed to be subject to the appropriations process in the first place. Furthermore, funding for programs that help victims of sexual assault in 15 cities in Idaho and a program that has helped thousands of Idaho schoolchildren learn of the dangers of Internet predators have been eliminated during the conference process on this omnibus spending bill. Justice assistance grants have been significantly reduced. The Office of National Drug Control Policy Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign was significantly cut, which jeopardizes important anti drug and, particularly anti meth media messaging for Idaho's youth. Although I have supported important funding along the way in these bills including veterans funding, border funds and other Idaho priorities, in my view, victims of crime and our youth are the clear losers in this legislation, and because of this and other substantial concerns I have with this, I have to vote against the bill.

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