[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]

 
        CONFERENCE COMMITTEE CAN STRENGTHEN WEAKENED CRIME BILL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Florida [Mr. Mica] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, as the Representative for Florida's seventh 
Congressional District, I have the responsibility to carefully review 
legislation as it is presented to this House. After I reviewed the 972 
pages of the crime bill which was produced by the conference committee, 
it was my strong opinion that this measure should be returned to the 
conference committee, and that it also was in the best interests of the 
citizens of my district and all Americans, and we did that just a few 
minutes ago.
  However, on April 21, 1994, I voted for a crime bill based on my hope 
that the strong provisions would be retained that we passed in this 
House, and the objectionable, weaker measures would be eliminated. What 
occurred, however, as we know is now history in conference committee, 
was unfortunately a sad mistake.
  It is my great hope for this House and also for the country that we 
can now correct that mistake with the action that took place just a few 
minutes ago here on this floor.
  Regrettably, as we know, the House conference committee and Senate 
conference committee weakened most of the major enforcement and penalty 
provisions of bills that passed both this House and the other body. 
Some of the provisions which were altered or eliminated include--and 
let me go over them, if I may--a measure which in the House was 
supported by a 407 to 13 majority, requiring notification of 
neighborhoods that released sexual predators were living in 
neighborhoods, in individuals' neighborhoods, was stripped from the 
bill.
  Mandatory minimum sentences for criminals committing felonies with a 
firearm was also taken out of the conference report. Mandatory minimum 
sentences for adults who sell drugs to minors or use minors in drug 
crimes was eliminated from the bill.
  A provision requiring mandatory restitution to victims of violent 
crimes was also dropped. Provisions to help convict prior rapists and 
child abusers were rejected, despite a House floor vote here of 348 to 
62 to allow the admissibility of critical evidence. The provision to 
deport criminal aliens immediately after they leave prisons was also 
rejected and taken out of this conference report.
  The language of the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Gekas] on 
procedures to be used in imposing the death penalty was dramatically 
weakened, despite the House's unanimous vote to keep the original Gekas 
language. Instead, the conferees opted for language that makes it 
easier for a convicted murderer to have his sentence overturned or 
appealed.

                              {time}  1430

  Now the conference committee will reconvene and it is so important 
for this House and for this Congress and the credibility of this whole 
issue before the American people that these issues in that conference 
be addressed and corrected. Furthermore, the conference report expanded 
funding as we now know its history from the other body which included 
$22 billion for police, prisons, prevention and treatment, all of which 
I supported. In this House we had included $27 billion for similar 
measures. I could not in good conscience support the vast array of new 
programs which pushed spending in this total conference report to $34 
billion. The longer the public looked at this, the longer the media 
looked at this, the longer Americans looked at this, the more problems 
they saw with this type of social agenda spending.
  Now we have an opportunity in a bipartisan fashion to correct that. 
Mr. Speaker, I favor a strong, effective crime bill which I know you 
and other Americans support. It is my hope that this conference can 
carefully evaluate the provisions of any future crime legislation we 
bring before the House and the other body on the basis of effectiveness 
and wise expenditures for the hard-earned taxpayer dollars that we 
spend here in the Congress.
  I would like to see a strong, effective crime bill, the people of my 
district would like to see a strong, effective crime bill, and let me 
say our hearts ache for the victims of crime and violence. But, ladies 
and gentlemen, we have a responsibility in the next 24 hours and in the 
days ahead not only to legislate with our hearts but also with our 
minds.
  Mr. HUGHES. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. MICA. I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey.
  Mr. HUGHES. I was just in the back of the Chamber and I thought I 
understood the gentleman to say that there were no provisions in there 
to notify the public over the presence of sexual predators or those 
that commit sexual offenses in the conference report on the crime bill.
  Was that what the gentleman said?
  Mr. MICA. Not exactly. I did agree with the position that the 
President has taken and other Members of a wide range in this body to 
restore provisions which we originally supported both in the House and 
the other body.

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