[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 104 (Tuesday, August 2, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 2, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                       NATIONAL NIGHT OUT PROGRAM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
February 11, 1994, and June 10, 1994, the gentleman from Texas [Mr. 
Gene Green] is recognized during morning business for 2 minutes.
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, tonight people all over our 
country and in the district I represent in Houston, TX, will 
participate in the National Night Out Program that brings awareness to 
our Nation's crime problem. More importantly, this program brings these 
neighborhoods together to fight crime.
  It is interesting that when the rest of the Nation joins together to 
solve our crime problem, the House of Representatives is still divided 
on this issue. The crime bill we are considering contains a great many 
positive programs that will help control crime. While solutions on how 
to solve our crime problem are many and costly, it is made more 
difficult when the progress we have made is criticized by those who on 
one hand argue that we do not go far enough, and yet then complain the 
Federal Government should do more.
  We are criticized for not doing more, but if the crime bills are 
defeated this week, then these same people, these same editorial 
writers and same groups, will then say that Congress cannot address the 
number one issue that everyone agrees on that we have to solve, crime. 
Yet they are the ones that are saying maybe we should send this bill 
back to conference and kill it for this session. These are the same 
people that will never be satisfied with what Congress does, because we 
are imperfect, we are humans.
  This is unfortunate, but it is the way of life. We have to combine 
our efforts to solve the crime problem. The friends, families, and 
neighbors who join tonight will know that it will take more than 
political posturing, whether it be in Congress, city hall, or State 
capitals, to solve the problem. We must bring our communities together 
and address it as communities, whether you serve in Congress, whether 
you serve on city council, on your local school board, or in your State 
legislature. Because what we should do is do what is right, and not 
listen to the folks who would just tell us you did it wrong later.

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