Bipartisan Dreier Amendment to Increase SCAAP Funding Approved

July 25, 2007

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman David Dreier (R-San Dimas, CA), Rules Committee Ranking Republican, offered an amendment today to increase by $55 million the amount provided for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP). The amendment to the Departments of Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2008, H.R. 3093, was also sponsored by Congresswomen Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Congressmen Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and John Carter (R-TX). It was approved by a vote of 388-39.

“Securing funds for SCAAP is a perennial battle, but one that must be waged,” Dreier said. “Fundamentally, our borders are not yet secure and local law enforcement, especially in Southern California, is forced to apprehend and incarcerate criminals who are in this country illegally. It is the federal government’s responsibility to enforce the border. Until we have more control of who is entering the country, it is also the responsibility of the federal government to help state and local governments with the burden of these incarcerations. This bill did not spend enough on the SCAAP program, so we were forced to fight for more.”

H.R. 3093 provides $405 million for the SCAAP program. That amount reflects the increase Congressman Dreier secured in the previous Congress with an amendment to increase the SCAAP funding by $50 million from $355 million. The Lofgren-Dreier amendment will increase the FY ‘08 level by $55 million, bringing SCAAP funding to $460 million. Dreier said the increase in funding is especially critical to counties like Los Angeles because incarceration of illegal immigrants there costs over $100 million per year.