[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 115 (Tuesday, August 16, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 16, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                  THE HOUSE SHOULD PASS THE CRIME BILL

  (Mr. RICHARDSON asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, again, as my colleagues know, this is 
going to be a very important week for the House of Representatives, 
because the crime bill is going to be coming up again.
  Mr. Speaker, I know that many of my colleagues have had a very 
difficult weekend, regardless of how they voted. The right vote on the 
rule which will be coming up is aye. What we want to make sure of is 
that all our colleagues recognize the importance of this issue to the 
American people.
  Very strong punishment provisions are in this legislation. There are 
very strong provisions that will add community policing around the 
country, 100,000 new cops.
  Most importantly, there are very important provisions that deal with 
more prevention funds, to make sure our young people do not take to the 
streets, that they are active in many positive directions, to ensure 
that this crime bill is a bill that many of us can support.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to again stress that the prevention funds 
in this bill are not excessive. They are important prevention funds. 
Some on the other side have alleged that what we have here is more 
money spent on prevention funds than in the actual bill that passed the 
House a month ago. That is not the case.

                              {time}  1410

  There are less prevention funds in the conference report. What did 
increase, and I would not call it a social program, is one that deals 
with violence against women, programs to combat violence against women 
that have largely come into focus with the death of Nicole Simpson. So 
what I think has happened over the weekend is that an enormous amount 
of attention has come forth on the House of Representatives for that 
very unfortunate vote that took place. The President has rightly gone 
to the country and has exhorted us to make sure we correct our 
differences.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the fact that we have an 
important crime bill that needs to be voted on. We cannot possibly go 
home to our States and our districts without having passed a crime 
bill. It is critically important that on Thursday, when this vote takes 
place, that we vote strongly for a bill that is extremely important to 
the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to once again stress to my colleagues that 
this crime bill, passing the rule, is probably the utmost priority that 
this body has in this session of Congress. We have got the health care 
issue. That is extremely important. But unquestionably, the American 
people would like us as much as possible, before we go home, to pass a 
strong crime bill that contains these components of more cops, that 
contains these components of more prevention funds, that contains this 
important component of more punishment provisions.

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