[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 67 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 67

                    Relating to violence at clinics.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

             January 20 (legislative day, January 10), 1995

Mr. Pressler (for Mrs. Boxer) (for herself, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Feingold, 
  Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Simon, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Dodd, Mr. 
 Baucus, Mr. Levin, Mr. Lieberman, Ms. Moseley-Braun, Mr. Harkin, Mr. 
     Pell, Mr. Inouye, Ms. Mikulski, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Reid, Mr. 
Wellstone, Mr. Robb, Mr. Kohl, Mr. Bryan, and Mr. Kerry) submitted the 
        following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
                    Relating to violence at clinics.

Whereas there are approximately 900 clinics in the United States providing 
        reproductive health services;
Whereas violence directed at persons seeking to provide reproductive health 
        services continues to increase in the United States, as demonstrated by 
        the recent shootings at two reproductive health clinics in Massachusetts 
        and another health care clinic in Virginia;
Whereas organizations monitoring clinic violence have recorded over 130 
        incidents of violence or harassment directed at reproductive health care 
        clinics and their personnel in 1994 such as death threats, stalking, 
        chemical attacks, bombings, and arson;
Whereas there has been one attempted murder in Florida and four individuals 
        killed at reproductive health care clinics in Florida and Massachusetts 
        in 1994;
Whereas the Congress passed and the President signed the Freedom of Access to 
        Clinic Entrances Act of 1994, a law establishing Federal criminal 
        penalties and civil remedies for certain violent, threatening, 
        obstructive and destructive conduct that is intended to injure, 
        intimidate or interfere with persons seeking to obtain or provide 
        reproductive health services;
Whereas violence is not a mode of free speech and should not be condoned as a 
        method of expressing an opinion; and
Whereas the President has instructed the Attorney General to order--

    (1) the United States Attorneys to create task forces of Federal, State 
and local law enforcement officials and develop plans to address security 
for reproductive health care clinics located within their jurisdictions; 
and

    (2) the United States Marshals Service to ensure coordination between 
clinics and Federal, State and local law enforcement officials regarding 
potential threats of violence: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the United States 
Attorney General should fully enforce the law and protect persons 
seeking to provide or obtain, or assist in providing or obtaining, 
reproductive health services from violent attack.
    Sec. 2. Expressive Conduct.--Nothing in this resolution shall be 
construed to prohibit any expressive conduct (including peaceful 
picketing or other peaceful demonstration) protected from legal 
prohibition by the First Amendment to the Constitution.
                                 <all>