[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]

 
                    THE CRIME BILL CONFERENCE REPORT

  (Mr. GRAMS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GRAMS. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, this body will pass the conference 
report on the crime bill. And tomorrow night, politicians everywhere 
will boast about it. But in reality, this bill is nothing more than an 
election year feel-good measure--a bill that is tough on taxpayers and 
soft on criminals.
  In this so-called crime bill is over $9 billion in social welfare 
spending. This is in addition to the $1 trillion we've already spent on 
failed social programs. But Congress doesn't seem to learn. Great 
Society programs didn't move people out of poverty--and they will not 
make America's streets any safer.
  Instead, we need to take a new direction in fighting crime--one that 
focuses less on social welfare and more on stricter penalties, tougher 
sentencing, and genuine enforcement of our laws. But this crime bill 
does none of these things.
  A real crime bill would put an end to the current policy of ``catch 
and release'' by requiring prisoners to serve their full sentences, 
allow prosecutors to admit incriminating evidence without the obstacles 
of search and seizure rules, and ensure that those on death row not 
escape their punishment through loopholes in the appeals process.
  But that is not what we are voting on tomorrow. And that is the real 
crime Congress will commit on American taxpayers and law-abiding 
citizens tomorrow.

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