Bush Budget to Cut Police Funding

President Bush’s budget proposes decreasing the federal grant monies available to local law enforcement agencies from $600 million to $60 million.

Bush says his budget will provide financial resources for war, domestic security, and other priorities, while cutting unnecessary programs.

“I stand with the president that we need to eliminate wasteful spending and we need to look through all the programs,” says House Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle, R-Iowa. “There’s no question that’s not the easiest thing to do in Washington.”

As part of the budget, Bush would also end the program by which the government now gives $300 million to states for incarcerating illegal aliens who commit crimes as well as assistance to police departments to improve technology and their ability to communicate with other agencies.