[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 28 (Monday, February 13, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H1621]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            THE CRIME ISSUE LEADS TO THREATS OF PARTISANSHIP

  (Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, last week the Republican 
Party put through a bill to change last year's bill providing prison 
construction funds. They said last week that we had given the States 
too much discretion and we needed here in Washington to tell the States 
more what to do.
  Today and tomorrow they are going to put through a bill that is 
exactly the opposite. They are going to try to undo what we did last 
year regarding money for prevention and for police because they say it 
does not give the States enough freedom.
  What is the common threat? Why were they for restricting the States 
last week and for untying the States this week? Because they fear that 
President Clinton and the Democratic Congress has this year succeeded, 
and they are desperately eager for partisan purposes to undo that 
success.
  That would not be so bad if it were not for the consequences. In my 
district and in districts all across this country police officers have 
been hired for what they thought was a 3-year period under the Clinton 
plan of last year. For partisan purposes, the Republican program would 
disrupt that. It would say to the people who hire policemen and the 
policemen hired that they are not going to have the assurance of the 3 
years.
  Mr. Speaker, surely they can find other areas in which to express 
their partisan desires.


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