[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 173 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 173

 Expressing the sense of the Senate with respect to the protection of 
                 reproductive health services clinics.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 5, 1998

   Mrs. Boxer (for herself, Mr. Chafee, Ms. Snowe, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. 
Jeffords, Mr. Lautenberg, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Kerrey, Ms. Collins, and Ms. 
 Moseley-Braun) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
                   to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate with respect to the protection of 
                 reproductive health services clinics.

Whereas there are approximately 1000 reproductive health services clinics in the 
        United States;
Whereas violence directed at persons seeking to provide reproductive health 
        services continues to increase in the United States, as demonstrated by 
        the January 29, 1998, bombing outside a reproductive health services 
        clinic in Birmingham, Alabama, in which 1 person was killed and 1 person 
        was critically injured;
Whereas the death that occurred at the Birmingham clinic was the first bombing 
        fatality at a reproductive health services clinic in the history of the 
        United States;
Whereas organizations monitoring clinic violence have reported over 1,800 acts 
        of violence at reproductive health services clinics, including bombings, 
        shootings, arson, death threats, kidnapping, and assaults;
Whereas, in 1997, reproductive health services clinics reported an increase in 
        the number of acts of violence over 1996;
Whereas, in January 1997, reproductive health services clinics in Atlanta, 
        Georgia and Tulsa, Oklahoma were bombed, resulting in several injuries;
Whereas, in December 1994, 2 workers at a reproductive health services clinic 
        were murdered and 5 others injured in an assault in Brookline, 
        Massachusetts;
Whereas, in July 1994, an abortion provider and his security escort were 
        murdered in Pensacola, Florida;
Whereas, in March 1993, a doctor providing abortion services was shot and killed 
        in Pensacola, Florida;
Whereas 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, 
        and for intentionally damaging or destroying, or attempting to damage or 
        destroy, the property of a clinic because the clinic provides 
        reproductive health services;
Whereas violence is not a mode of free speech, is not entitled to constitutional 
        protection, and should not be condoned as a method of expressing an 
        opinion; and
Whereas, on January 2, 1995, the President instructed the Attorney General to 
        direct--
            (1) the United States Attorneys to create task forces of Federal, 
        State, and local law enforcement officials to develop plans to address 
        security for reproductive health services clinics located within their 
        jurisdictions; and
            (2) the United States Marshals Service to ensure coordination 
        between reproductive health services clinics and Federal, State, and 
        local law enforcement officials regarding potential threats of violence: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,

SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE SENATE.

    It is the sense of the Senate that the Attorney General should--
            (1) fully enforce the law and protect from violent attack 
        persons seeking to provide or obtain, or assist in providing or 
        obtaining, reproductive health services; and
            (2) allocate the resources needed to accomplish the mission 
        of the Department of Justice, including the protection of 
        reproductive health services clinics, as described in the 
        instruction of the President on January 2, 1995.

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 of the United States.
                                 <all>