[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 7 (Thursday, January 12, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S916-S917]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                          AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED

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                    THE UNFUNDED MANDATE REFORM ACT

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                  BOXER (AND OTHERS) AMENDMENT NO. 17

  (Ordered to lie on the table.)
  Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Feingold, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. 
Campbell, Mr. Simon, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Levin, 
Mr. Lieberman, Ms. Moseley-Braun, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Pell, Mr. Inouye, and 
Ms. Mikulski) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by them to 
the bill (S. 1) to curb the practice of imposing unfunded Federal 
mandates on States and local governments; to strengthen the partnership 
between the Federal Government and State, local and tribal governments; 
to end the imposition, in the absence of full consideration by 
Congress, of Federal mandates on State, local, and tribal governments 
without adequate funding, in a manner that may displace other essential 
governmental priorities; and to ensure that the Federal Government pays 
the costs incurred by those governments in complying with certain 
requirements under Federal statutes and regulations; and for other 
purposes; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following new section:

     SEC.   . SENSE OF THE SENATE CONCERNING PROTECTION OF 
                   REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CLINICS.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) there are approximately 900 clinics in the United 
     States providing reproductive health services;
       [[Page S917]] (2) 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;
       (3) 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;
       (4) there has been one attempted murder in Florida and four 
     individuals killed at reproductive health care clinics in 
     Florida and Massachusetts in 1994;
       (5) 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;
       (6) violence is not a mode of free speech and should not be 
     condoned as a method of expressing an opinion;
       (7) persons exercising their constitutional rights and 
     acting completely within the law are entitled to full 
     protection from the Federal Government;
       (8) 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
       (9) the President has instructed the Attorney General to 
     order--
       (A) the United States Attorneys to create task forces of 
     Federal, State and local law enforcement officials and 
     develop plans to address security for reproductive health 
     care clinics located within their jurisdictions; and
       (B) the United States Marshals Service to ensure 
     coordination between clinics and Federal, State and local law 
     enforcement officials regarding potential threats of 
     violence.
       (b) Sense of the Senate.--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.
     

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