FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AG THURSDAY, MAY 25, 1995 (202) 616-2777 TDD (202) 514-1888 SENATE SAYS: DON'T TOUCH THE CRIME BILL Administration's Position Carried Unanimously WASHINGTON, D.C. -- By voice vote, and without dissent, the U.S. Senate today voted to spare the Crime Control Trust Fund from budget cuts. Sponsored by Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, the resolution sets up a showdown with the House of Representatives, which passed a budget resolution last week proposing cuts of more than $5 billion from the Fund -- a cut of one-sixth from the total Congress promised police and the American people in last year's crime bill. Attorney General Janet Reno has frequently spoken out against cuts in the trust fund. "Proposals to scale back our fight against violent crime shouldn't even be on the table," said Reno. "These cuts could mean fewer cells to house violent criminals and fewer police on America's streets to fight them. When we make promises, we ought to keep them." The Trust Fund pays for the costs of the crime bill through savings realized by ongoing cuts in the size of the federal government, without new taxes or spending cuts. ### 95-295