House Democrats Reject Motion to Fund Police

House Democrats voted down a motion which would have recommitted $15 million from the left’s “unauthorized program providing free legal assistance to illegal immigrants” and instead applied it to the Byrne Justice Assistance grant program, which provides localities with funding for a range of programs — from assisting local law enforcement to crime prevention and education.

Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) offered the Motion to Recommit, which would have moved $15 million from “an unauthorized program that provides free legal assistance to illegal immigrants at the southern border to the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program,” according to the congressman.

“The Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program – or, ‘Byrne JAG,’ as it is commonly known – is the leading source of law enforcement assistance funding to state, local, and tribal jurisdictions across the United States,” Aderholt said in a statement.

He continued:

I urge a YES vote on this motion which rejects calls any defunding of police programs and increases support for the many vital and compassionate missions of state and local law enforcement officers who – like Eddie Byrne – are dedicating their lives to bettering communities across the United States of America.

The Democrat-led House rejected the motion — which would have provided funding for a range of “public safety initiatives” including law enforcement, mental health programs, crime prevention and education, and drug treatment and enforcement  —  219-197.

Democrat leaders have been vocal in their cries to defund police. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who was not satisfied with Mayor Bill de Blasio’s (D) commitment to slashing $1 billion from NYPD’s budget,  has stated that defunding the police “looks like a suburb.”

“Affluent white communities already live in a world where they choose to fund youth, health, housing, etc more than they fund police,” she said in June.

“These communities have lower crime rates not because they have more police, but bc they have more resources to support healthy society in a way that reduces crime,” she added.

Progressive city councils across the country have also taken steps to defund police in their communities. The Seattle City Council is the latest, considering a resolution that would both defund the police and create a “civilian led department of community safety & violence prevention.”