[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 127 (Tuesday, July 20, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E783]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       MORE FUNDING FOR POLICING

                                 ______
                                 

                  HON. GREGORIO KILILI CAMACHO SABLAN

                    of the Northern Mariana Islands

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 20, 2021

  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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