[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 12 (Friday, January 20, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1290-S1291]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     PREVENTING THE ADOPTION OF CERTAIN NATIONAL HISTORY STANDARDS
                          VIOLENCE AT CLINICS

                                 ______


                      IMPACT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

  Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that it be in 
order for me to send to the desk three resolutions and that they be 
considered en bloc, agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon 
the table.
  For the information of my colleagues, the three resolutions are the 
texts of the Gorton amendment, Bradley amendment and Boxer amendment 
that were offered to the unfunded mandates bill and voted on Wednesday.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is 
so ordered. And without objection, where appropriate, the preambles are 
agreed to.
  Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, I send the three resolutions to the 
desk.
  So the resolutions (S. Res. 66, S. Res. 67, and S. Res. 68) were 
agreed to, as follows:
                               S. Res. 66

       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--(a) the 
     National Education Goals Panel should disapprove, and the 
     National Education Standards and Improvement Council should 
     not certify, any voluntary national content standards, 
     voluntary national student performance standards, or criteria 
     for the certification of such content and student performance 
     standards, on the subject of world and United States history, 
     developed prior to February 1, 1995.
       (b) voluntary national content standards, voluntary 
     national student performance standards, and criteria for the 
     certification of such content and student performance 
     standards, on the subject of world and United States history, 
     established under title II of the Goals 2000: Educate America 
     Act should not be based on standards developed primarily by 
     the National Center for History in the Schools prior to 
     February 1, 1995; and
       (c) if the Department of Education, the National Endowment 
     for the Humanities, or any other Federal agency provides 
     funds for the development of the standards and criteria 
     described in paragraph (6) the recipient of such funds should 
     have a decent respect for the contributions of western 
     civilization, and United States history, ideas, and 
     institutions, to the increase of freedom and prosperity 
     around the world.
                       [[Page S1291]] S. Res. 67

     SENSE OF THE SENATE CONCERNING PROTECTION OF REPRODUCTIVE 
                   HEALTH CLINICS.

       Whereas, there are approximately 900 clinics in the United 
     States providing reproduction 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; and
       Whereas, the President has intructed 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: 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 protect persons seeking to provide or obtain, or assist 
     in providing or obtaining, reproductive health services from 
     violent attack.
       (c) Nothing in this resolution shall be construed to 
     prohibit any expressive conduct (including peaceful picketing 
     or other peaceful demonstration) protected from legal 
     prohibition by the first amendment to the constitution.
                                                                    ____


                               S. Res. 68

     IMPACT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.

       Whereas, the Congress should be concerned about shifting 
     costs from Federal to State and local authorities and should 
     be equally concerned about the growing tendency of States to 
     shift costs to local governments;
       Whereas, cost shifting from States to local governments 
     has, in many instances, forced local governments to raise 
     property taxes or curtail sometimes essential services; and
       Whereas, increases in local property taxes and cuts in 
     essential services threaten the ability of many citizens to 
     attain and maintain the American dream of owning a home in a 
     safe, secure community: Now therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that
       (1) the Federal Government should not shift certain costs 
     to the State, and States should end the practice of shifting 
     costs to local governments, which forces many local 
     governments to increase property taxes;
       (2) States should end the imposition, in the absence of 
     full consideration by their legislatures, of State issued 
     mandates on local governments without adequate State funding, 
     in a manner that may displace other essential government 
     priorities; and
       (3) one primary objective of this Act and other efforts to 
     change the relationship among Federal, State, and local 
     governments should be to reduce taxes and spending at all 
     levels and to end the practice of shifting costs from one 
     level of government to another with little or no benefit to 
     taxpayers.

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