Representative Mike Michaud represents Maine's 2nd District in the United States Congress.

In last week's column I talked about the President's budget for fiscal year 2009, which similar to years past, contains deep cuts, including cuts in federal support for local law enforcement.

This is unfortunate because it builds on the Administration's already poor record of funding our local law enforcement. Last year, the President's refusal to accept congressional funding levels resulted in drastic cuts to one program in particular: the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. Funding for the JAG program was cut by two-thirds, from $520 million in fiscal year 2007 to $170.4 million in fiscal year 2008. The House funding bill originally provided $600 million for the JAG program.

While it has a long name, the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program's mission is simple: give local law enforcement the tools it needs to combat crime. This is the type of funding that Maine cannot afford to lose.

In a recent newspaper article, Maine's police chiefs and law enforcement officials said that inadequate JAG funding would harm their multijurisdictional drug task force program. The article went on to say that without the funding, the state stands to lose 13 or more of the 38 drug task force officer positions, corresponding positions at the local sheriff's offices and police departments, and six drug task force positions in the state attorney general's office. That lack of funding would essentially shutdown drug task forces and pass along the costs of drug related investigations to local jurisdiction that are already facing stressed budgets.

Roy McKinney, director of the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, said that the reduced JAG funding impacts public safety in the long term and that the "JAG funds are the cornerstone of a program that addresses public safety in the state." Because of the severe impact on public safety and our local budgets, I have made restoring this important funding a top priority.

I recently joined my colleagues in sending a letter to congressional leadership requesting that the upcoming emergency supplemental funding package include at least $429.6 million for the JAG program. Passing this funding would bring total JAG funding for fiscal year 2008 up to the $600 million level in the bill that the House passed back in 2007.

In addition, Congressman Tom Allen and I sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee that described exactly how these budget cuts hurt Maine's law enforcement and urged immediate supplemental funding. To leave no stone unturned, I also joined with my colleagues in sponsoring a bipartisan bill that would initiate the supplemental appropriations process in order to restore JAG funding. At this point it is only a matter of time until congressional leaders get the message.

Local law enforcement agencies throughout the country will soon see the effects of cutting important programs like JAG. It is already clear to Maine that Congress must act and act fast. I will continue to push for the restoration of this critical funding.