A bipartisan alliance of 26 members of Congress demands the expense of $30 million to purchase body armor.
In Washinton DC; representatives Bill Pascrell and Brian Fitzpatrick led a bipartisan group of 26 Democrats and Republicans. The cause: requesting $30 million in funding for body armor. The funds would go to the Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP), Grant Program from Fiscal Year 2022. BVP is a federal initiative that assists state and local law enforcement authorities with the purchase of body armor.
Letters for body armor
The members interested on the purchase wrote a letter on the 26th of April to justify their petition. The letter, presented by Insider Nj in an informative article, was directed to the leaders of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies:
“Since 1999, the BVP program has awarded more than 13,000 jurisdictions a total of $522 million in federal funds for the purchase of over one million vests. According to the Government Accountability Office, over 3,000 law enforcement lives have been saved by armored vests since 1987. We urge you to consider the safety of our brave first responders as you formulate the FY22 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. By fully funding this critical program, we can continue to ensure that law enforcement officers have access to these lifesaving resources.”
Previous interests in providing body armor.
Pascrell has not only fought for body armor provision now. He also sponsored the last legislation for body armor from May 24, 2019. This indefinitely authorized the life-saving Bulletproof Vests Grant program. In 2020, the grant program provided $23 billion to more than 4000 cities around the country to buy body armor.
This shows the importance of body armor and the proper protection of workers. Not only that but the urgent need of providing police officers and others with the proper tools they need to work.
