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CJJ Government Relations Alert, April 2011
FY 2011 Appropriations Bill Mandates Deep Cuts for Juvenile Justice Programs
On April 14, Congress passed, and the President signed, H.R. 1473, the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011, which sets funding levels for all federal programs for the remainder of FY 2011. H.R. 1437 mandates that core federal juvenile justice programs be cut by 17 percent or $56.5 million.
Earlier this year, the House passed H.R. 1, the Full Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011, which would have reduced federal funding for juvenile justice programs by a total of $191 million by (1) eliminating $91 million in earmarked programs and (2) directing the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), which has oversight over the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), to cut funding for all remaining juvenile justice programs by an additional $100 million. The Senate later amended H.R. 1 to reduce federal funding for juvenile justice programs by a total of $111 million by (1) eliminating $91 million in earmarked programs and (2) directing OJP to cut funding for all remaining juvenile justice programs by an additional $20 million.
H.R. 1473, the compromise of these two bills, permanently eliminates $91 million in earmarked juvenile justice programs and mandates OJP to cut all remaining juvenile justice programs by 17 percent. The impact of these cuts – which total $56.5 million – is reflected in the chart below.
| |
FY02
|
FY10
|
YTD
+/-
|
President’s
Proposal
for FY11
|
House
Proposal
for FY11
|
Senate
Proposal
for FY11
|
H.R. 1473
|
CJJ REQUEST
for FY11
|
|
OJJDP
|
$6.8
|
--
|
-100%
|
--
|
Eliminate earmarks, cut remaining funding by $100 million, or 30%
|
Eliminate earmarks, cut remaining funding by $20 million, or 6%
|
--
|
$9
|
|
Rsch, Eval,
T&TA
|
--
|
up to $36
|
N/A
|
up to $36
|
up to $29.9
|
$36
|
|
Tit. II State
Formula
Funds
|
$88.8
|
$75
|
-16%
|
$72
|
$62.3
|
$89
|
|
Tit. V Local
Delinq. Prevention
|
$94.3
|
$65
|
-31%
|
$62
|
$54
|
$95
|
|
JABG
|
$249.5
|
$55
|
-78%
|
$40
|
$45.7
|
$250
|
|
DPBG
|
N/A
|
0
|
-100%
|
0
|
--
|
$126.4
|
|
Demonstration
Programs
(earmarks
|
0
|
$91
|
N/A
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Mentoring
|
$16
|
$100
|
+625%
|
$45
|
$83
|
$100
|
H.R. 1473 follows months of debate and negotiations between Congressional leaders and the President. The bill is expected to narrowly pass both chambers of Congress and be signed into law by the President no later than April 18.
Click here to read a Youth Today article on the impact of H.R. 1473 on federal youth programs.
Click here to read CJJ’s full position statement on H.R. 1473.
House Budget Committee Introduces FY 2012 Budget
On April 5, House Republicans, led by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI-1st), Chairman of the U.S. House Budget Committee, introduced a budget for FY 2012 that proposes to cut government spending by $6.2 million over the next ten years. If adopted, the budget would reduce domestic spending to below 2008 levels, and freeze domestic spending for five years.
Overall funding for federal juvenile justice programs has declined by more than 50 percent since FY 2002, and Congress is proposing to reduce core juvenile justice funding by an additional 17 percent for FY 2011. In partnership with others around the nation, CJJ members and allies successfully advocated for the preservation of critical juvenile justice dollars in the President’s Proposed Budget for FY 2012. In the immediate future, and over the next several years, CJJ stands ready to help members and allies take advocacy efforts to the next level to preserve the federal-state partnership on juvenile justice, and ensure that youth, families and communities continue to receive the protections and supports they need to be safe and successful.
New Bill Would Eliminate Senate Confirmation for Key Justice Positions
On March 30, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) introduced S. 679, the “Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011.” If enacted, the bill would reduce by about 200 the number of executive branch positions requiring Senate confirmation, including several positions within the U.S. Department of Justice.
Under the bill, the heads of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) office would still be confirmed by the Senate. Senate confirmation, however, would no longer be required for the directors of OJP’s five bureaus: the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). Leaders of these offices would be appointed by the U.S. Attorney General or the Assistant Attorney General for OJP. The bill, which was introduced with the support of 15 Democratic and Republican co-sponsors, is reportedly the result of a deal on overall Senate operations reached between Senate leaders at the start of the 112th session of Congress. Positions requiring Senate confirmation are set by statute, so changes require legislative action. Since taking office, President Obama has nominated, and the Senate has confirmed, appointees to OJP, BJS, NIJ and OVC. More than two years into his Administration, however, President Obama has yet to nominate a permanent director for BJA and OJJDP.
Eliminating Senate confirmation for these offices would simplify the selection and appointment process. There is a concern, however, that eliminating Senate confirmation would also diminish the importance of these positions, and subject them to the political or ideological whims of a single individual, as opposed to full consideration by a bi-partisan Congressional committee.
S. 679 was approved by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee by voice vote on April 13. CJJ will continue to monitor S. 679 as it moves forward, and facilitate input from the field to ensure that the ultimate outcome is good for youth, families and communities nationwide.
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