[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 117 (Thursday, August 18, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 18, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
             SOCIAL PROGRAMS TO PREVENT CRIME ARE NOT PORK

  (Mr. SANDERS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, the crime bill is far from perfect, but I'm 
getting a little bit tired of hearing from some Members who criticize 
every program that will try to prevent young people from turning to 
crime, violence, and drugs as pork.
  Let me be very clear, I do not consider it as pork or wasteful 
spending if we are successful in developing approaches which keep young 
people from turning to crime, drugs, and violence. In fact, I consider 
that money very well spent and an important investment for the future 
of this country. Further, when we spend $25,000 a year to keep one 
prisoner in jail, I consider crime prevention to be very cost effective 
for the taxpayers, in other words, I would prefer to spend a few 
hundred million dollars on a program which keeps kids from turning to 
crime than a hundred times more money keeping those same young persons 
in jail.
  Mr. Speaker, given the fact that we already have the highest rate per 
capita of incarceration in the entire world, I think that it's high 
time that we begin to look at the root causes of crime which have an 
enormous amount to do with poverty, lack of education, lack of jobs, 
and lack of hope.
  Mr. Speaker, I find it interesting that when some Members of the 
Congress vote for huge tax breaks for the wealthy, that's not pork, but 
when we vote for funds to save the lives of our children and the most 
at-risk people in this country, that is pork.
  I find it interesting that when some Members vote to spend almost $3 
billion for star wars that's not pork, but when we vote $1.8 billion to 
protect women against violence, that somehow is pork. I find it 
interesting that when some Members vote $70 billion for the space 
station that's not pork but when we vote a few hundred million dollars 
for after school programs and athletic programs, that is pork. I find 
it interesting that when we level-fund spending for the intelligence 
agencies, despite the end of the cold war, that's not pork, but when we 
put money into athletic programs and boys and girls clubs, that is 
pork.
  My conclusion, Mr. Speaker, is that for some Members of Congress any 
legislation that helps the wealthy, the Defense Department or the CIA, 
is a great investment for America. However, any legislation which will 
improve life for the poor, and the most vulnerable, and will keep young 
people out of jail, is considered pork and wasteful. Mr. Speaker, let 
us get our priorities right.

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