[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 30 (Thursday, March 17, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 17, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
            ABORTION ACCESS BILL; AN ABUSE OF POLICE POWERS

  (Mr. SMITH of New Jersey asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, meting out new Federal 
punishments, including long prison terms and ruinous criminal and civil 
fines on those who nonviolently and peacefully picket, sit in, or pray 
and sing at abortion mills, and to do so in a way that it is construed 
to be obstruction or interference, H.R. 796 makes a mockery of equal 
justice under law.
  No other cause, Mr. Speaker, no other movement, no other viewpoint, 
is singled out in this way. Sit in at an abortion mill for higher wages 
or benefits, the local ordinances sway if you are arrested. Sit it in 
the identical way to try to protect a life, and you go to prison for a 
year, and you also face very huge fines, both civil and criminal.
  Mr. Speaker, in order to get the House to focus on this precedent-
setting abuse of police powers contained in this bill, I intend to ask 
for a serious of votes on both procedural and substantive questions.
  I agree, Mr. Speaker, that we need tough penalties for those on 
either side who use violence. Let us craft such a bill. But H.R. 796 
represents a cynical abuse of police powers to crush peaceful pro-life 
nonviolent dissent.
  Mr. Speaker, I say to my colleagues, take the time to understand the 
ramifications of this bill.

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