Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today said he is concerned about a lack of funding for several key initiatives that are important to southern New Mexico. 

President Bush’s budget eliminates the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), which helps reimburse localities along the southwest border for costs associated with detaining certain criminal aliens. The program is set to receive $410 million for this year, but would receive no funding under the FY 2009 budget proposal unveiled today. Bingaman has fought against such cuts in the past. 

The budget also slashes funding for the Southwest Border Prosecutor Initiative (SWBPI), which provides funding to the four Southwest border states to prosecute federally-initiated drug cases that would otherwise not be pursued because the cases do not meet Federal government thresholds. While the initiative was funded at $30 million in FY 2008, the budget only allocates $948,000 for this purpose. 

“New Mexico communities along the U.S.-Mexico border depend on federal funds to help their local law enforcement agencies address border related crime, such as drug and human trafficking. The elimination of the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program and the Southwest Border Prosecutor Initiative would be a step backward in our efforts to assist border communities in confronting these issues,” Bingaman said. 

Bingaman also pointed out that while the President’s budget provides $100 million for the Southwest Border Enforcement Initiative, which is a new effort aimed at fighting violent crime, drug smuggling, and weapons trafficking, the impact of this initiative is significantly diminished when compared to the overall law enforcement cuts included in the budget. 

The President’s budget reduces critical funding for law enforcement and justice programs by about 65 percent, cutting funding from $2.314 billion in FY08 to $813 million in FY09. The COPS program, which has been instrumental in providing local police the resources they need to fight crime in New Mexico, is slated to be cut by over 99 percent, from $587 million in FY 2008 to $4 million in FY 2009. The budget also eliminates funding for the Meth Hot Spots Program, which helps local law enforcement agencies obtain the tools they need reduce the production, distribution, and use of meth. 

“With the increase of methamphetamine trafficking from Mexico, the meth grant program, which received $61 million in FY 2008, is an important resource for New Mexico’s law enforcement agencies,” Bingaman said. 

But Bingaman said he is encouraged that the President’s budget requests an additional $500 million to hire 2,220 new Border Patrol agents, which will increase the force strength to about 20,000 agents by the end of FY09. Additionally, the budget includes $775 million for fencing, infrastructure, and technology along the border ($1.225 billion was provided for this purpose in FY08). 

“As someone who had been fighting for years to bolster border security efforts along our nation’s southern border, I am pleased the President has proposed to significantly increase the number of agents for next year,” Bingaman said. 

Bingaman was also disappointed that the President’s budget proposes slashing funding by 85 percent to help colonias with water and waste water programs – from $24 million in FY 2008 to $3.7 million for FY 2009. New Mexico's share would go from about $7.5 million to only $1 million for FY 2009. 

“Water and wastewater infrastructure projects come with pretty big price tags. Many communities rely on federal grants to fund water projects. It is unfortunate that the president has again proposed cuts to a program that helps New Mexicans meet some of their basic needs,” Bingaman said. 

Bingaman was disappointed that the president once again proposed to eliminate all commercial air service for Alamogordo, Carlsbad, Clovis, Hobbs, and Silver City. These communities depend on the Essential Air Service program for subsidized air service to Albuquerque. Bingaman will again lead efforts in the Senate this year to maintain their commercial air service for communities that helps create jobs and promote economic development. 

The budget request submitted today by the White House to Congress is the first step in the annual appropriations process. Over the next several months, the House of Representatives and the Senate will proceed with the actual work of writing the federal budget. The White House numbers serve as recommendations to Congress that could set the parameters of the budget debate.