Harder Leads Members of California Delegation in Push for More Law Enforcement Funding

WASHINGTON – Representative Josh Harder (CA-10) is leading a group of California lawmakers in an effort to ensure that law enforcement officers across the country get the resources to safely and effectively do their jobs and keep our families safe. In June, the House of Representatives passed an appropriations package that expanded funding for law enforcement above current levels. As the House considers a Continuing Resolution (CR) and year-end funding bill, Rep. Harder and his colleagues are pushing to ensure the final legislation includes enough funding for our law enforcement.

"Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line day in and day out to keep our communities safe," said Rep. Harder. "In the Central Valley and across the country, our police work tirelessly for our friends, family, and neighbors. The very least that we can do is to make sure that they have the resources and the funding they need to do their jobs and to do them safely."

Rep. Harder has made supporting law enforcement and public safety one of his top priorities in Congress and in his first nine months in office has introduced the Supporting the Health and Safety of Law Enforcement Act and the Corporal Ronil Singh and Fallen Heroes Scholarship Act to support officers and their families.

The letter was also signed by Reps. Grace Napolitano, Mike Thompson, Jimmy Panetta, Jim Costa, TJ Cox, and Anna Eshoo.

A web version of the letter is available here and the full text can be found below.

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader McConnell, Leader McCarthy, and Leader Schumer,

Thank you for your leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. We appreciate the opportunity to work together to support the American people. With the recess behind us, our attention now turns to crafting a compromise on an end of year funding bill to keep the government funded through the 2020 Fiscal Year. While there are many important issues at stake during this effort, our responsibility to ensure robust funding for the state and local law enforcement officers that keep Californians safe, is paramount.

This critical funding is provided through a number of federal grant programs and direct spending initiatives administered through the Department of Justice (DoJ). In June, the House of Representatives passed a Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations package that expanded funding for law enforcement over FY 2019 levels. The vital appropriations included:

• $530.25 million for Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (compared to $497 million in FY19);
• $323 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program (compared to $303.5 million in FY19);
• $581.5 million to fund the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA);
• $100 million to support survivors of human trafficking;
• $2.357 billion for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to fund additional anti-opioid and gang efforts; and
• $501 million in assistance to state and local governments for grants authorized by the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, as well as other opioid-related activities.

Not only do these programs equip California law enforcement officers with the resources they need to protect communities across the state, but they also provide the means to effectively combat broader issues facing Californians.

As the Senate considers its own spending measures, I urge you to resist cuts to law enforcement programs. Day in and day out the brave men and women of state and local California law enforcement risk their lives to fulfill their duty and keep their neighbors safe. We must now fulfill our duty, and ensure they have the critical resources they need to do their jobs safely, efficiently, and humanely.

Thank you for your time and consideration regarding this request.