Judd Gregg

Mr. GREGG

Mr. GREGG. I thank Senator Coverdell and Senator DeWine for their statements. I have listened very carefully to their remarks, and I commend them for his tireless efforts in supporting anti-drug efforts, here in the United States and throughout the world. I would like to assure both Senator Coverdell and Senator DeWine that I will give every possible consideration to their request when we go to conference and in the event that additional funding may become available for FY 2000 in the future. Mr. DeWine. I thank my distinguished friend from New Hampshire and I yield the floor.

Mr. GREGG. Yes, I am aware that the needs to combat the growing meth problem are pressing and that funds made available to the DEA may be used not only to train state and local officers on the proper recognition and collection of meth labs, but also in the removal destruction of the materials seized in the labs.

Mr. GREGG. I am aware that resources are necessary so that these sites can be cleaned up adequately.

Mr. GREGG. Yes, I am.

Mr. GREGG. I share in the Senators' concerns for the need for sustained and adequate funding nationally to combat methamphetamine abuse. I will work to ensure, where possible within the funding allotments for methamphetamine initiatives, that the final bill will support the concerns you have raised.

Mr. GREGG. We have had to make a lot of tough decisions in this bill while trying to ensure that we meet the needs of many critical programs. The subcommittee has worked earnestly to be fair, and we have had to make tough choices.

Mr. GREGG. I am aware of the bill.

Mr. GREGG. I do agree with my esteemed colleague from Maryland that $2 million of the funds within the ``Mapping and Charting'' account can be used for shoreline mapping.

Mr. GREGG. I am more than happy to.

Mr. GREGG. I share your concerns about allowing existing Women's Business Centers to re-compete for federal funds. If the Small Business Committee and the Senate approve S. 791 before the conference on this bill, I will make every effort to provide the additional funding you have requested.

Mr. GREGG. I am aware of the training challenges state and local law enforcement personnel have had regarding methamphetamine production and handling of these explosive chemicals involved in the methamphetamine production process and Senator Hollings and I have worked to address those needs.

Mr. GREGG. I am aware of this effort and am told that the Small Business Committee will work to report the bill to the full Senate, with the hope that the bill will pass later this year.

Mr. GREGG. The senior Senator from Nevada is correct. Of the $1 million provided, $500,000 is to be directed to the Las Vegas Police Department to be used for their Methamphetamine Eradication Initiative, and $500,000 is to be directed to the North Las Vegas Police Department for their Methamphetamine Eradication Initiative.

Mr. GREGG. I appreciate the Senator from Florida's comments. The Committee supports and shares your commitment to Everglades and Florida Bay restoration; specifically with respect to the funds allocated to the initiative funded by the Coastal Ocean Science Program.

Mr. GREGG. I know how important this initiative has been to the Senator from Florida. I can assure the Senator that it is the Committee's intent that the base-level funding you indicated be preserved in the next fiscal year. Did the Senator from Florida have an additional concern?

Mr. GREGG. I appreciate the comments of the Senator from Alaska and will work with him to address his concerns.

Mr. GREGG. The Senator from Florida is correct. The funds included in the Chairman's amendment are in addition to the $2 million provided to the two institutions you mentioned. Senator Hollings, is this also your understanding?

Mr. GREGG. I agree these are important issues.

Mr. GREGG. I would support this measure.

Mr. GREGG. I agree that expediency should not compromise the thorough study and development of local and regional solutions to Census 2000 issues.

Mr. GREGG. My staff and myself have traveled to Alaska at your invitation and agree that the distances between communities are a challenge in implementing federal programs and directives.

Mr. GREGG. It is important to bring this statistic to the Senate's attention to underscore the significance of reform proposals the Senator from Alaska will raise here today.

Mr. GREGG. Yes, I would like to join you in remarking on the 2000 Census and Alaska.

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I very much thank the Senator from South Carolina for supporting me and engaging in this colloquy. I look forward to working with him in the future on ensuring that our nation's schools are safe. census 2000

Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I would like to engage in a colloquy with my colleague from South Carolina, Senator Hollings, the ranking member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary (CJS), about an innovative program recently started by the State of Virginia, which I believe falls within the allowable use of funds within the Safe Schools Initiative, a line item that appears in the FY 2000 CJS Appropriations Bill. Senator Hollings, it has recently come to my attention that the State of Virginia has begun implementing a new program to reduce crime in its schools called ``4 Safe VA.'' This program is a public/private partnership, which includes online reporting of school crime, a toll- free statewide hotline, and an extensive training program. Before school begins again in the fall, Virginia will train nearly 3,000 teachers, law enforcement, school resource officers, and other school personnel in school safety procedures. There will be four separate training programs, which are as follows: (1) a training program for school resource officers to prepare them to act as ``first responders'' in crisis situations, such as that which occurred in Littleton, Colorado; (2) a training program for school staff and local law enforcement in communities where there are no school resource officers to prepare them for responding to crisis situations; (3) a training program for 60 Virginia State Troopers to prepare them to support localities should a crisis situation occur; and (4) a training program for custodians, cafeteria workers, and other support staff, who know the students and who are often the ``eyes and ears'' of the school, to prepare them to assist in emergencies. I have looked at Virginia's program plan and have found it to be innovative and thoughtful. I consider it to be the type of program for which we set aside $38 million for community planning and prevention activities under the Safe Schools Initiative line item. It is my hope that the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, which will be administering these grants, will give careful thought to providing the State of Virginia with funds to continue to enhance the 4 Safe VA project.