{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-highlights-missouri-law-enforcement-first-responder-priorities-in-fy2021-funding-bill", "Blunt Highlights Missouri Law Enforcement, First Responder Priorities in FY2021 Funding Bill", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Roy Blunt", "B000575", "www.blunt.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), a\r\nmember of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Co-Chair of the Senate Law\r\nEnforcement Caucus, announced several Missouri priorities he worked to include\r\nin the following FY2021 funding bills: Homeland Security; Commerce, Justice,\r\nScience and Related Agencies; and Financial Services and General Government.\r\nThe bills are part of the larger government funding package that Congress is expected to consider shortly.   The pandemic has shined an even brighter spotlight on the\r\nincredible, life-saving work our first responders do every day, said Blunt.\r\nThis bill invests in programs and policies to support police and fire\r\ndepartments, including grant programs that help departments purchase equipment,\r\nconduct training, and hire personnel. The bill maintains our focus on the\r\ninvestigation, treatment, and prosecution of child abuse cases. It supports\r\nimproved coordination between local, state, and federal law enforcement to\r\nbetter combat major drug-trafficking organizations. And, in addition to our\r\ncontinued support for the drug-free communities programs and drug-court\r\nprograms, the bill makes a new investment in an initiative to help address the\r\nroot causes of recidivism. In a tight fiscal environment, these are all areas\r\nwhere smart, targeted federal investment goes a long way toward supporting\r\nstate and local agencies and the important work they do to make our communities\r\nstronger and safer.   Following are the Missouri priorities included in the\r\nfunding bills: Homeland Security: \r\nStaffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency\r\nResponse Program (SAFER) and Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG): The\r\nbill provides $360 million each for the SAFER and AFG programs, $5 million\r\nabove FY2020 levels. The SAFER program provides funding to hire firefighters,\r\nand the AFG program provides equipment to firefighters. Both programs help\r\nMissouri first responders fill gaps to provide firefighters with resources to\r\nsupport their communities. This year, and in previous years, Blunt sent a\r\nletter to the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee advocating for the\r\nSAFER and AFG programs.   \r\nNonprofit Security Grant Program: The\r\nlegislation provides $90 million for Urban Area Security Initiative grants, a\r\n$40 million increase above FY2020 levels. The bill also includes $90 million\r\nfor nonprofit organizations, a $50 million increase above FY2020 levels. Blunt\r\nis a longtime supporter of the Nonprofit Security Grant program, which provides\r\nfinancial support to nonprofit organizations at high risk of a terrorist\r\nattack, such as religious and cultural centers, for physical security\r\nenhancements.    Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies:\r\n \r\nVictims of Child Abuse Program: The\r\nlegislation provides $30 million for the Victims of Child Abuse program, a $3\r\nmillion increase over FY2020. Blunt's bipartisan legislation\r\nto reauthorize the Victims of Child Abuse Act (VOCAA) was signed into law in\r\n2018. The bill provides funding for children's advocacy centers that serve\r\nchild abuse victims and help law enforcement hold perpetrators accountable.\r\nMissouri children's advocacy centers served over 9,000 children in 2019.   \r\nJohn R. Justice (JRJ) Program: The\r\nlegislation provides $2 million for the JRJ program, which provides loan\r\nrepayment assistance for state public defenders and state prosecutors who agree\r\nto remain employed as public defenders and prosecutors for at least three\r\nyears. The JRJ program eases the financial burden facing new attorneys who want\r\nto pursue careers in public service.   \r\nReducing Recidivism: The legislation\r\nprovides $4 million to fund grants to academic partners who can design and test\r\nmodels to expedite judicial review for technical violations of supervision,\r\nwhile linking individuals who commit technical violations to evidence-based\r\nservices that address the root causes of recidivism. A successful study in St.\r\nLouis County, Mo., showed that it is possible to reduce unnecessary delay in\r\nreinstatement of probation after technical violations and thus the social and\r\neconomic costs of that delay.   \r\nRegional Innovation (RI) Program: The\r\nbill provides $38 million, a $5 million increase from last year's level, for\r\nthe RI program, which provides operational support for local innovators and\r\nentrepreneurs to commercialize new ideas and technologies. The grants,\r\nadministered by the Economic Development Administration, help translate\r\ninnovative ideas into local job growth.\r\n   \r\nManufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP):\r\nThe bill provides $150 million, a $4 million increase over FY2020, for MEP. MEP\r\nis a public-private partnership operated by the National Institute of Standards\r\nand Technology in collaboration with centers in all 50 states. MEP serves as a\r\nbridge to other organizations and federal research labs focused on enhancing\r\nthe manufacturing community. Missouri Enterprise in Rolla is part of the MEP\r\nprogram.   Financial Services and General Government:\r\n \r\nDrug-Free Communities Program: The\r\nlegislation provides $102 million for the Drug-Free Communities Program, an\r\nincrease over FY2020. This program helps fund community-based coalitions that\r\nwork to prevent youth substance use.   \r\nHigh Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program\r\n(HIDTA): The bill includes $290 million for the Blunt-backed HIDTA program,\r\na $5 million increase over FY2020. HIDTA is an effective and innovative\r\ninitiative that provides critical assistance to federal, state, and local law\r\nenforcement agencies in combatting major drug-trafficking organizations across\r\nthe country. Midwest HIDTA is located in Kansas City, Mo., and supports HIDTA\r\nlaw enforcement initiatives in six states.   \r\nHarry S Truman Scholarship Foundation:\r\nThe legislation provides $2 million for the Harry S Truman Scholarship\r\nFoundation, an increase over FY2020. The Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation\r\nwas established by Congress in 1975 as the sole federal memorial to President\r\nTruman supporting graduate education for young people committed to careers in\r\npublic service. Washington University in St. Louis is one of seven schools with\r\nmore than one 2020 Truman Scholar. In addition, Missouri is one of 10 states\r\nwith more than one 2020 Truman Scholar.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.blunt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/blunt-highlights-missouri-law-enforcement-first-responder-priorities-in-fy2021-funding-bill"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5629753470420837, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}