Harkin hopes to get funds back for task forces

By Ed Tibbetts | Thursday, May 08, 2008

When Congress begins work next week on a new war funding bill, more than a few Iowa law enforcement agencies will be watching the deliberations closely.

The bill may be the last chance to restore $4.6 million to Iowa multi-jurisdictional task forces, including the Quad-City Metropolitan Enforcement Group.

The money is part of $490 million in grant money cut nationwide as part of a budget deal Congress struck with the Bush administration last December.

Since then, U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, has tried to get the money back. He’s also fighting proposed cuts in the next fiscal year.

Harkin said Thursday he’s hopeful the money will be included in the war spending bill, but the prospects are far from certain.

President Bush has warned against adding any domestic spending to his $108 billion proposal, and Thursday, maneuvering in the House prompted a week’s delay in committee consideration of the legislation.

The core of the bill is to provide money for the wars in Iraq