may i ask quickly a question, last year the department found money to support the work against methamphetamine. and i compliment the department for that. i know it's getting increasingly harder. in our state, we had the highest number of meth lab seizures in the nation. money's running down, state's increasing funding. will the department be able again to try to help states that are working on this as you were able to do last year? >> we are certainly going to try to do as best we can. i know certainly seen with regard to the cleanup of meth sites, there have been a number of these container activities, and i think, i think this is right. tennessee is actually a leader in that effort.>> y. >> there have been a number of states that have come up with things and instead of it costing, $300, $400, $500 coming down to $20 or $30. the experience we've seen there is something to extrapolate and use in other parts of the country as well. >> thank yge thank you, madam chairman. laut? >> no, i think -- >> oh, i'm sorry. wait. wait here today. first of all sen at chair of the judiciary committee, and then senator lautenberg. attorney general holder, good to have you here. if i could just follow-up a little bit on what my good friend from tennessee, senator alexander said, on the recess appointment. there is an easy way out of all of this. require a little cooperation on both sides. and i suggested this in the th president resubmit the agree to have an up or down vote within a week or two weeks. the president did this even ougs more than 50 votes, which is normally what it takes to friends on the other side of the aisle were blocking having a vote. i understand the president's frustration, but i think the easy way out of this is simphe would agree to an up or down vote say within a week or two weeks. whatever amount of time is needed for debate. and resubmit them and have an up or down vote. that takes care of all the problem. i just would suggest that as an easy way out. it's not as much fun on the talk shows, but -- now, mr. attorney general, the department your department administers many crucial grant programs that help victims in law enforcement, including ones i've been very heavily involved in, the violence against women act programs. and as you know, senator crapo anreauthorization bill on that, cops grants. the bullet-proof vest partnership program. government accounting office has said there's appliance of duplications and inefficiencies in some of the grant programs. will your department work to make sure there are, if there are any duplications that they be removed and that we -- we go forward? because these are good programs but there's only so much money to go around. >>hat's exactly te have and we have to make sure the limited amounts of money to go around and make sure there's not duplication. office of violence against women regularly meet to coordinate pr activities. and i think one thing that people should not assume is because you see ta wumber of th things that we do in the department, that necessarily means that the money is being -- is being -- that we're duplicating efforts there. responsibilities, but we are working to make sure that the money we have is being used in an efficient and appropriate way.>>nd one of the things i'm very proud of, from my team here in the senate, is a bill that i wrote with then senator nighthorse campbell on bumper-to-bumper bulletproof vests. so much so that i've walked down the street in denver, colorado a year ago, a police officer came up, asked if i was, who i am. i said, yes. he just tapped his chest and said, thank you. but we've been told by the galo that there is some funds that have not been obligated bulletproof vest partnership grant program. law enforcement, especially in the smaller communities where they do not have the budget to buy the bulletproof vest, $500, $600. can you check to make sure these fund are on bligated as quicklys possible? >> to the extent that fund were not drawn down we are taking jurisdictions to use those, unused funding that have the time period with which they can draw down extended so we can get bulletproof vests out to the officers. >> i would reat you when we chatted earlier this week when i was in vermont about your, your speech earlier this week. and ged targeting of u.s. citizens. i still want to see the office of legal counsel. and i would urge you to keep working on that. i realize that is a matter of some debate within the administration. >> that would be true. >> please keep my staff and me updated in the progress of the review of the nypd surveillance of muslim-americans. >> we will. >> and lastly, i wrote to you and secretary of homeland janet encourage you to hold marriage based immigration petitions for same sex couples, the decision, the defense against marriage act, may be granted individual cases, i hope you will reconsider the administration's position. we have case, i have written toe married in vermont, lawfully, a number of states where same sex marriages are legal. but then they run up against the immigration problem. please review that. >> i will look at the case and get back to you, senator. >> thank you very much. >> thank you very much, madam chairman, welcometo holder. the job doesn't seem to be getting eaot a blaming you, just sympathizing. >> good observation. >> not so much that i won't ask for more because w with less. we see it in my state of new jersey, 246 gun murders in 2010. 12% more than the previous year. we have had layoffs galore and from cities that maintain their -- their police force structure. and so -- when i look at things -- that -- that we're doing, i worry about -- what it is that we can do to -- to, from your department, from what can we do to help these communities, state budget cuts have caused other cities in new jersey to close their police forces at alarming rates. a third of the police force in camden. over 100 -- terminations of in. december, i wrote asking if you wouldvi resources, could provide federal resources to assist our ailing cities. and i am pleased -- general, to department of justice budget it planning other steps that we can use to help protect new jersey from violent crime? >> well, we are certainly making sure that in terms of cops grants we do the best that we can there. i think we have a substantial amount of money in the budget. i note that, i spoke to the mayor of camden, at a reception, saw her. we have certainly, with regard to camden, in 2011, made available officers, $3.79 million. 2010, 19 officers, and we'll be looking at that kind of year. we certainly are putting into new jersey and in other places task forces, so, helping to the extent that we, that we can. as well. there are a variety of ways in which the federal government can help given the economic situation that many cities around the country are facing. we want to be good partners in that way. camden is a place that i think is, deserved special attention given the unique problem that we see there. >> can i ask -- ask your view on whether or not you think we are doing enough between your department, the fbi, state, local police, police -- police people? are we doing enough based on what we see with the statistics? do you think that we are doing enough to say honestly that we are protecting our people appropriately? >> well, i think that we are -- you know we have crime rates that are at historic lows, 40, 50-year lows. yet i am troubled by the number of police officers for instance who have been killed in the lia we have seen a 16%. 20% increase there. and i think is something that we have to work on the i am concerned about the fact that all the numbers of murders are down, 67% of them occur by people who are using firearms. i think that is an issue we have to deal with. too many of have access to guns and they use them in, inappropriate ways. targets are offices who are sworn to protect us. we have to protect them. >> the wrong people or wrong w giffords last year used a gun with a high capacity ammunition clip to kill six people, wound 13. it was only when he fired all 31 round in his clip that people were able to subdue and these high capacity magazines were banned congress until 2004. last year you said you thought reinstating this ban should be examined. what's the result of that examination? >> well, we are still in the process of working our way through that. i think there are measures we need to take. we need to be reasonable, understanding there is a second amendment right with regard firearms. but even the descent issent, ree restrictions can be placed on d too is come up with ways in which we are respecting, respecters of the second amendment and yet come up with reasonabla that, that will ulti protect the american people. >> madam chairman, your indulgence for one more question, please. over the past several years, the new york police department has been engaged in surveillance of new jersey's communities and universities. searching for those who might be accused of terror. governor christie, newark mayor booker, both, both each, apparently unaware of this large scale investigation. how can the law enforcement agencies spy on another states residents without notifying the authorities that, that governor, the mayor even knowing about it? >> i don't know. we have -- we are in the process of reviewing the letters that have come in -- expressing consaernz bout -- are -- their various components within the justice department actively looking at these matters. i talked to governor christie, saw him at a reception, couple days or so ago and he expressed concerns he had. he publicly expressed his concerns as only he can. i think at least what i have read publicly, again what i read in the newspapers is disturbingch thedisturb ining. these are things under review at the justice department. thank you, general holder, madam chairman. i assume the record will be kept open. >> the record will be kept open for questions. we then ask the department to respond within 30 days. senators may submit additional questions, we ask the department to respond within 30 days. before i recess am going to conclude the hearing the way i began. as i listened to the questions, answers, the budget, in the short time that we have to, to review, i want to end the hearing the way i began. which ties thank the men and women who work at the justice department. i have been on this subcommittee a long time. it's blessing and great honor. when i think about it the way the scope and complexity of what our citizens and our country face, and what our justice department faces, it's anazing safety to national safety. just the -- and the last decade the expanti -- th national security portfolio and transformation of agencies, the fbi is not, you know, your j. edgar hoover's fbi any more. for everybody who works, everybody out on the street, everybody tracking sexual predators,vejob, the prison guards, and all of the wonderful support staff that's the paraleal galparalee le -- para legals, secretaries. thank you. i think our country is safer. because of your work. and we have to look out for our civil service. because we need an independent judiciary. we need a justice department that functions with absolute integrity. but we, who fund the appropriations, need to know that if you are going to have a cracker jack civil service we have to also support that cracker jack civil service. so, thank you. and god bless you and god bless america. the subcommittee stands in recess until march 15, next thursday, 10:00. wel the director of the fbi and both an open and ultimately classified hearing. the committee is in recess. >> thank you, madam chair. >> tomorrow morning's "washington journal" jeff bingaman looks at the health care oral arguments before the supreme court and senate debate on tax writeoffs for the oil and gas industries. and after that, georgia congressman, tom price on the republican 2013 budget proposal which the house will vote on tomorrow. washington journal live thursday at 7:00 a.m.te reagan was leavie hotel after delivering a speech. hinckley can't believe he is this close. 15 feet from the president. he shoots. six shots. first one hits jim brady the press secretary. he falls down. second, a d.c. police ofer the president's progress the he gets hit in the back. screams i'm hit. hi tohe the president is clear. wide open. hinckley has an effective range. he has done target practice. he can hit stationary targets. >> march 30, 1981, would be assassin, john hinckley fires six shots. this weekend, the raceo president. sunday, 10:00 p.m. eastern. >> follow c-span's local content vehicles throughout the weekend ad american history tv explore history and literary culture of little rock arkansa eastern on book tv on c-span too. the little known riots and killing of at l african-american sharecroppers. >> you had calls going all up and down the mississippi delta. and saying that blacks were now in revolt. and the next morning between and 1,000 men, white men, pour into phillips county to begin shooting down >> on american history tv, span. sunday, former student bruce lindsay on integration and north little rock highle school.f the to happen when we get up those steps. but they seem to. because no the momentum is behind us. and they are pushing us up the steps.