Appropriations Committee rejects the Trump Administration's proposal to rescind funding for the Letcher County Prison

WASHINGTON, DC -- 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. 

Bill Highlights:

Drug-Related Programs

• Hal Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program – $14 million ($2 million above the Administration's proposal);
  
  
• Drug Court Program - $43 million;
  
  
• Department of Justice (DOJ) Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Grant (CARA Section 201) - $118 million;
  
  
• Drug Enforecment Agency (DEA) Diversion Control - $419.5 million ($30 million more than FY17);
  
  
• Byrne JAG Program - $500 million ($104 million more than FY17 and $170 million more than the Administration's proposal);
  
  
• DEA Methamphetamine Lab Cleanups - $11 million;
  
  
• Residential Substance Abuse Treatment - $12 million; and
  
  
• Youth Mentoring Grants - $75 million, ($17 million above the Administration's proposal).

Department of Justice (DOJ) – The bill funds DOJ at $29 billion, an increase of $349 million from FY17.

• FBI - $8.8 billion for FBI operations ($48 million above FY17)
• DEA - $2.6 billion ($98 million above FY17)
• ATF - $1.3 billion ($35 million above FY17)
• Executive Office for Immigration Review - $505 million ($64.5 million above FY17)

U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) – The bill funds USMS at $2.8 billion, an increase of $88 million from FY17

• Within this amount, funds are increased for the highest-priority grant programs, including $527 million for the Violence Against Women account (an increase of $104 million), $500 million for Byrne JAG, and $220 million for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (an increase of $10 million).
  
  
• Anti-Opioid Abuse – The bill includes $103 million for programs to help stem abuse; the full amount authorized by the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016.

NASA – The bill funds NASA at $19.9 billion, an increase of $219 million from FY17.

National Science Foundation (NSF) - $7.3 billion, a decrease of $133 million from FY17.

Department of Commerce – The bill funds the Commerce Department at $8.3 billion, a reduction of $892 million from FY17.

• EDA - $176 million, a decrease of $100 million from FY17;
  
  
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) - $865 million, a decrease of $87, million from FY17;
  
  
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - $4.97 billion, a decrease of $710 million. Funding is targeted to priorities such as the National Weather Service, fisheries management, weather research, and ocean research.

Click here to watch Chairman Rogers' remarks and the committee markup for the bill. 

The bill was approved by the Committee on a vote of 31-21. 

For a bill summary, please visit:
https://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=394951 

For the text of the bill, please visit:
https://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/bills-115hr-sc-ap-fy2018-cjs-commercejusticescience.pdf 

For the bill report, please visit:
https://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/cjs.report.07.13.17.pdf