[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 118 (Friday, August 19, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                         MORE ON THE CRIME BILL

  (Mr. HOKE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HOKE. Mr. Speaker, words are important. Words are important. When 
we call this a crime bill, it is irresponsible to confuse the American 
public about what is really going on. Because words mean something.
  In fact, yes, there is some crime, there are aspects of this that 
have directly to do with crime, prisons, police. There are also a whole 
host of social programs, most of which have nothing to do with the 
prevention, although they are billed that way. There is an excellent 
Violence Against Women Act and there is a gun ban in that.
  All of those, regardless of the killing children and killing police, 
know on the other side of the aisle or those that are opposed, or that 
are in favor of this gun ban in 1992, fewer than 900 people were killed 
with all weapons, all rifles, all rifles, not just assault weapons, and 
nearly twice that number were killed with fists and feet.
  The point is that what we really need to do is split up this crime 
bill so that the American people have an opportunity to see how their 
representatives vote on the various aspects of it. That is not 
legislative blackmail, which is what we are getting right now, trying 
to pull along the bad with the good.

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