More Funding for Policing

Floor Speech

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Mr. SABLAN. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce legislation that gives this House an opportunity to provide more funding for policing.

My bill does this by allowing the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa to be treated as two separate entities for the purposes of the Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program. Currently, the Marianas and American Samoa are lumped together for funding, unlike the other U.S. insular areas--Puerto Rico, Guam, and the United States Virgin Islands--which are treated as individual jurisdictions, as are all fifty States.

By fixing this inequity in funding for police in the Northern Marianas and American Samoa, we can help our men and women in blue receive the necessary training and equipment they need to keep our communities safe. Making this change will also provide more funding to support prosecutors and the courts, as well as justice-related initiatives aimed at crime prevention.

Local law enforcement is increasingly the first line of defense against the evolving security threats our country faces. We must do all we can to recognize the vital role of our police in maintaining public safety.

The gentlelady from American Samoa, Mrs. Radewagen, and the gentleman from Hawaii, Mr. Kahele, are original cosponsors of the bill.

I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.

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