[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 26, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: January 26, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
         THE NEED FOR PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP ON THE CRIME BILL

  Mr. HATCH. Madam President, I will speak just a few minutes here.
  The American people are demanding that Congress take action against 
crime. The Senate has acted. We have passed a very tough bill.
  Last week, I wrote a letter to President Clinton urging him to call 
on the Congress to pass certain key provisions that are currently a 
part of the Senate crime bill. Last night, the President endorsed one 
of these measures: the three-time-loser provision. I commend him for 
this step. Still, I am concerned that without his strong, specific 
support and leadership on several worthy, tough-on-crime provisions, 
they will be jettisoned in conference or significantly weakened.
  Accordingly, I again ask President Clinton to express his support 
publicly for the following provisions of the Senate-passed crime bill. 
I am only listing some of them.
  No. 1, comprehensive Federal death penalty. The President must make 
it clear that he expects the Congress to pass a true workable death 
penalty that is free from any gutting amendments, such as the Racial 
Justice Act, which death penalty opponents may seek to add to the bill.
  No. 2, death penalty for major drug traffickers. The Senate added a 
provision authorizing the death penalty for major drug traffickers even 
where murder is not directly involved. It is always indirectly 
involved. The Senate needs President Clinton's personal endorsement of 
this provision because some reports indicate that the Department of 
Justice opposed inclusion of it in the crime bill.
  No. 3, $6 billion in increased prison construction. Given current 
prison overcrowding, providing resources for additional prisons is one 
of the most important steps the Federal Government can take to keep 
criminals off the streets, and President Clinton should support this 
effort.
  No. 4, truth in sentencing. The American people are fed up with a 
revolving door criminal justice system wherein vicious criminals serve 
only small portions of their sentences. The Senate crime bill 
conditions a State's ability to participate in the new Federal regional 
prison system on the State's adoption of truth-in-sentencing policies.
  No. 5, Federal anti-gang initiative. The growth in criminal street 
gangs and the violence they spawn has truly made gang violence a 
national problem. There are at least 215 identified gangs in the Salt 
Lake City region of my home State of Utah. The Senate adopted an 
amendment making it a Federal offense to participate in a criminal 
street gang, to recruit persons into such gangs, or engage in gang-
related crimes. The provision subjects gang members to stiff mandatory 
minimum penalties.
  No. 6, mandatory minimum penalties for violent offenders. The Senate 
measure provides enhanced mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment for 
the use of a firearm in the commission of a crime.
  No. 7, expedited deportation of alien terrorists. The Senate bill 
establishes a special mechanism for removal of alien terrorists.
  No. 8, rural crime provisions. In recognition of the growth of crime 
in our Nation's rural areas, the Senate bill contains a $355 million 
initiative to address crime in such areas. Rural States have a growing 
crime problem and need this additional assistance.
  No. 9, telemarketing fraud. Our Nation's citizens are increasingly 
being victimized by telemarketing scam artists. The Senate bill 
contains a bipartisan provision making telemarketing fraud a Federal 
offense and authorizes funding for additional FBI agents and Federal 
prosecutors.
  The Senate bill, of course, contains many other worthy provisions, 
including the Violence Against Women Act, which have strong bipartisan 
support. I am confident that President Clinton shares my view that law 
enforcement, victims, and prosecutors cannot afford to have these 
measures weakened or removed in conference. The President's public 
support and his willingness to fight for these provisions would go a 
long way toward insuring that Congress will pass a tough anticrime 
bill.
  Action speaks louder than words. We need the President to actively 
fight for all of these specific and important parts of the Senate-
passed bill. There are others as well, but I have run out of time. I 
yield the remainder of my time and thank my colleague from Nevada for 
his patience and courtesy.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the time 
of the Senator from Wyoming has expired. The time from 9:45 to 10:20 
shall be under the control of the majority leader or his designee.
  The Senator from Nevada.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the next 20 
minutes be controlled by the Senator from Nevada [Mr. Reid], and the 
Senator from Illinois [Ms. Moseley-Braun].
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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