White House Criticizes GOP's Proposed Cuts to Federal Law Enforcement Funding

[Social Media]

 

The White House has issued a strong critique of the House Republican funding bill unveiled on Tuesday, arguing that the proposed cuts undermine serious efforts to combat crime. The bill, which aims to allocate $78.288 billion in discretionary spending for the departments of Commerce and Justice, as well as various science agencies for fiscal year 2025, proposes a reduction of approximately two percent, or $1.275 billion, from the fiscal 2024 levels.

 

Senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates did not mince words in his rebuke of any cuts to Department of Justice funding. He called upon Congressional Republicans to collaborate with President Biden to effectively address crime, emphasizing the necessity of adequate funding for federal law enforcement agencies. Bates stated, “Republican officials attempted to defund law enforcement to the benefit of violent criminals and fentanyl traffickers, targeting federal agencies that are critical to stopping gun crime, terrorism, and child trafficking.”

 

Bates also highlighted the Biden administration's accomplishments in public safety, asserting, “Even though he inherited a skyrocketing murder rate from his predecessor, Joe Biden’s unprecedented funding for public safety – together with signing the first significant gun crime bill in three decades – has delivered the lowest violent crime rate in 50 years.” This statement underscores the administration's stance that their approach to funding and public safety measures is effectively reducing crime rates.

 

The criticism from the White House comes as Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have sought to blame President Biden for crime rates, positioning themselves as the party of law and order ahead of the November elections. However, recent crime statistics released earlier this month indicate a considerable drop in violent crime in the early months of 2024 compared to the same period last year, providing a counter-narrative that supports the Biden administration’s claims of success in public safety.

 

Conservative Republicans in the House have focused on the appropriations bill, known as the Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) appropriations bill, as a tool to challenge the Justice Department, particularly in light of Trump’s conviction in his hush money trial in New York. Despite this focus, the bill does not specifically mention special counsel Jack Smith, who is currently leading investigations into Trump, nor does it seek to curtail the powers of a special counsel more broadly.

 

This ongoing dispute highlights the deep divisions between the White House and Congressional Republicans regarding the appropriate approach to funding law enforcement and tackling crime. While the Biden administration emphasizes its achievements and warns against the dangers of cutting DOJ funding, Republicans seem resolute in pursuing their fiscal agenda, reflecting broader partisan tensions over crime and justice in the United States.

 

Credit: Hill 2024-06-27

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

[blazes]

A leading reason for a drop in crime figures is that a lot of crime now goes unreported.

 

Police are tired of arresting criminals, only to have them released within hours.  Also, to become a bona fide shop-lifter you now have to abscond with $900 + of goods to qualify as a felon.  How many millions of shop-lifters have gotten off scot-free because they only lifted $800?

[Cryingdick]

52 minutes ago, blazes said:

A leading reason for a drop in crime figures is that a lot of crime now goes unreported.

 

Police are tired of arresting criminals, only to have them released within hours.  Also, to become a bona fide shop-lifter you now have to abscond with $900 + of goods to qualify as a felon.  How many millions of shop-lifters have gotten off scot-free because they only lifted $800?

Let's not ever forget that, nobody is illegal. Literally and figuratively.

[Hanaguma]

56 minutes ago, blazes said:

A leading reason for a drop in crime figures is that a lot of crime now goes unreported.

 

Police are tired of arresting criminals, only to have them released within hours.  Also, to become a bona fide shop-lifter you now have to abscond with $900 + of goods to qualify as a felon.  How many millions of shop-lifters have gotten off scot-free because they only lifted $800?

Not to mention, the oft touted FBI crime stats can no longer be trusted. Many cities and jurisdictions don't even bother reporting their numbers anymore.  

[Tug]

4 minutes ago, Hanaguma said:

Not to mention, the oft touted FBI crime stats can no longer be trusted. Many cities and jurisdictions don't even bother reporting their numbers anymore.  

Sounds more like the gop is trying to punish the DOJ for holding the felon accountable.prove the fbi stats are false and city’s aren’t reporting violent crime…….this is a low handed play by the republicans and needs to be called out

[Purdey]

Which is the party of law and order again?

[Eric Loh]

"Republicans in Congress should defund the DOJ and FBI until they come to their senses'Trump bellowed in his post after  his arrest in NY and the GOPs cowardly responded. They meekly surrendered to Trump's call and one of their core values. 

[simple1]

4 hours ago, blazes said:

A leading reason for a drop in crime figures is that a lot of crime now goes unreported.

 

Police are tired of arresting criminals, only to have them released within hours.  Also, to become a bona fide shop-lifter you now have to abscond with $900 + of goods to qualify as a felon.  How many millions of shop-lifters have gotten off scot-free because they only lifted $800?

 

Reality check to your unsupported claims...

 

https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/felony-theft-amount-by-state

[Chomper Higgot]

This has gone beyond hypocrisy, taken a swerve past irony and landed smack in the middle of farce.

 

My ears are still ringing from the rightwing screaming against ‘Defund the police’.

 

 

[JonnyF]

Well BLM wanted to defund the police. The Dems were all over BLM, so they got what they wanted.

 

Be careful what you wish for. 

[JonnyF]

3 hours ago, Tug said:

Sounds more like the gop is trying to punish the DOJ for holding the felon accountable.prove the fbi stats are false and city’s aren’t reporting violent crime…….this is a low handed play by the republicans and needs to be called out

 

The Dems chose to fight in the gutter by removing their political rival with lawfare.

 

Were you expecting no consequences for such underhand tactics? If you want to fight dirty, don't complain when you get a swift kick in the nads. 

 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

17 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

The Dems chose to fight in the gutter by removing their political rival with lawfare.

 

Were you expecting no consequences for such underhand tactics? If you want to fight dirty, don't complain when you get a swift kick in the nads. 

 

 

If you don’t want to do the time, don’t do the crime.

[JonnyF]

2 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

If you don’t want to do the time, don’t do the crime.

 

I highly doubt Trump will get time for a book keeping error.

 

I guess it's the Dems only hope though, so keep clinging to that dream. 

 

 

[impulse]

Seems like you shouldn't need your entire budget if you're only going after the crimes by the right. 

 

Maybe 1/3 would be appropriate, because conservatives voters aren't committing more than 1/3 of the crimes.  That's from the FBI stats back when we could trust them.  But they didn't fit the narrative, so they changed the way they count crimes.  And now we can't even trust the FBI crime stats.  Yet another reason to cut the budget, and put that money toward an impartial statistics keeper.

 

[candide]

28 minutes ago, impulse said:

Seems like you shouldn't need your entire budget if you're only going after the crimes by the right. 

 

Maybe 1/3 would be appropriate, because conservatives voters aren't committing more than 1/3 of the crimes.  That's from the FBI stats back when we could trust them.  But they didn't fit the narrative, so they changed the way they count crimes.  And now we can't even trust the FBI crime stats.  Yet another reason to cut the budget, and put that money toward an impartial statistics keeper.

 

The "new way" to count crimes has started to be progressively implemented under Trump and has been fully completed at the end of his mandate. 😀