[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 3 (Friday, January 6, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S564-S565]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


         SENATE RESOLUTION 31--RELATIVE TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

  Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Feingold, Mr. Kerry, Mr. 
Kennedy, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Simon, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Baucus, 
Mr. Levin, Mr. Lieberman, Ms. Moseley-Braun, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Jeffords, 
Mr. Pell, Mr. Chafee, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Inouye, and Mr. Bradley) submitted 
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary:

                               S. Res. 31

       Whereas there are approximately 900 clinics in the United 
     States providing reproductive health services;
       Whereas violence directed at persons seeking to provide 
     reproductive health services continues to increase in the 
     United States, as demonstrated by the recent shootings at two 
     reproductive health clinics in Massachusetts and another 
     health care clinic in Virginia;
       Whereas organizations monitoring clinic violence have 
     recorded over 130 incidents of violence or harassment 
     directed at reproductive health care clinics and their 
     personnel in 1994 such as death threats, stalking, chemical 
     attacks, bombings and arson;
       Whereas there has been one attempted murder in Florida and 
     four individuals killed at reproductive health care clinics 
     in Florida and Massachusetts in 1994;
       Whereas the Congress passed and the President signed the 
     Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act of 1994, a law 
     establishing Federal criminal penalties and civil remedies 
     for certain violent, threatening, obstructive and destructive 
     conduct that is intended to injure, intimidate or interfere 
     with persons seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health 
     services;
       Whereas violence is not a mode of free speech and should 
     not be condoned as a method of expressing an opinion;
       Whereas persons exercising their constitutional rights and 
     acting completely within the law are entitled to full 
     protection from the Federal Government;
       Whereas the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act of 
     1994 imposes a mandate on the Federal Government to protect 
     individuals seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health 
     services; and
       Whereas the Attorney General has at her disposal law 
     enforcement personnel including 10,000 FBI agents and over 
     2,000 members of the United States Marshals Service: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the 
     United States Attorney General should fully enforce the law 
     and take any further necessary measures to protect persons 
     seeking to provide or obtain, or assist in providing or 
     obtaining, reproductive health services from violent attack.

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am submitting a resolution that calls on 
the Attorney General to do everything she can to protect reproductive 
health care clinics, given the violence that we have seen throughout 
America. I think that all of my colleagues share that view this 
violence is deplorable. This is a bipartisan resolution that I am 
submitting today. It includes Republicans and Democrats.
  I hope the Attorney General will follow the advice of the resolution, 
and I hope she will also listen to the advice of the President, who 
says please let us 
[[Page S565]] do something about protecting these clinics.
  Mr. President, today I am submitting legislation calling on the 
Attorney General to take all necessary measures to protect reproductive 
health care clinics and their staff from violent attack.
  I know that many of my colleagues are as shocked as I am about the 
ongoing terror and violence directed at our Nation's family planning 
clinics. That is why I am pleased that my legislation has bipartisan 
support.
  In 1994 there were over 130 incidents nationwide of violence or 
harassment directed at clinics and the people who work there. They 
include 50 reports of death threats to doctors and other clinic 
workers, 40 incidents of vandalism, 16 incidents of stalking, 4 acts of 
arson and 3 attempted bombings.
  Tragically, since the murder of Dr. David Gunn in March, 1993 outside 
of the Pensacola Women's Health Clinic there have been four additional 
slayings at clinics.
  In July, 1994 Dr. John Britton and his escort Jim Barret were shot to 
death at The Ladies' Center in Pensacola, FL. Mr. Barret's wife was 
injured.
  On December 30, Shannon Lowney and Leanne Nichols were shot and 
killed while working at reproductive health care clincs in 
Massachusetts. Five others were wounded. A day later the gunman fired 
shots at another clinic in Virginia.
  The resolution I am submitting today urges the Attorney General to 
use all of the tools at her disposal to stop this escalating violence, 
including the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act which we passed 
last year, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in working to protect our Nation's 
reproductive health care clinics from violent attack.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, the murderous assaults at two clinics in 
Brookline, Massachusetts last week were despicable acts of terrorism. 
This kind of vicious, hateful assault against women and health care 
providers cannot be tolerated in any community in America.
  Two women who worked at the Brookline clinics, Shannon Lowney and Lee 
Ann Nichols, had their lives brutally cut short. Five other people were 
seriously wounded, and four of them are still hospitalized. My heart 
goes out to these victims and their families.
  No effort can be spared to make sure that these crimes are not 
repeated anywhere else. Women must be able to seek reproductive health 
care without fear of violent assault. Doctors should be able to 
practice their profession without wearing bullet-proof vests. Clinic 
staff should be able to go to work each day in safety.
  Abortion is a constitutionally protected right, and it must be safe 
and accessible. Many of the clinics targeted by violence and 
obstruction provide a wide range of health care services for women, 
including family planning and prenatal care. We cannot allow access to 
these important services to be reduced or blocked.
  Last year, we passed and President Clinton signed the Freedom of 
Access to Clinic Entrances Act. That law gives the Attorney General the 
tools she needs to prevent violence and obstruction and to punish such 
acts whenever and wherever they occur with the full force of Federal 
law. The Justice Department has already brought several enforcement 
actions under this law, and it is actively investigating other possible 
violations. In addition, the Attorney General has made U.S. Marshals 
available to protect clinics.
  Some have suggested that the new Federal law is somehow responsible 
for fomenting violence at abortion clinics, because it allegedly closes 
off peaceful picketing as an outlet for those with strongly held views 
against abortion. Any such suggestion is nonsense.
  The clinic access law does not prohibit or punish peaceful picketing 
or any other expression protected by the first amendment. On the 
contrary, it expressly allows it. What the act prohibits is violent, 
threatening, obstructive, or destructive conduct--none of which has 
ever been protected by the Constitution. For that reason, every one of 
the Federal courts that have been asked to review the law since 
President Clinton signed it last year has upheld it.
  Tough laws against clinic blockades and clinic violence are not the 
problem. They are the solution.
  I commend President Clinton and Attorney General Reno for their 
vigorous enforcement of the new Federal law, and for their commitment 
to work with local law enforcement authorities to protect the clinics 
throughout the country. They are doing everything in their power to 
guarantee public safety and deter the use of violent tactics aimed at 
patients and providers.
  I am proud to join in sponsoring this legislation. The Senate must go 
on record unequivocally to denounce the violence, and to express our 
solid support for vigorous enforcement and implementation of the 
Federal clinic protection law. I hope that every Member of the Senate 
will join in supporting this important measure.


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