[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 29 (Tuesday, February 14, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H1699]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS FOR CRIME LEGISLATION

  (Mr. GUTIERREZ asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, this morning, Academy Award nominations 
were announced.
  And it made me think, we need a new category for the so-called 
anticrime proposals we're debating.
  We could call it, best performance by Members of Congress in 
pretending to make our communities safer.
  Sure, nominees would be hard to choose.
  It could be trampling on the fourth amendment to make illegal 
searches easier.
  Or greatly increasing the chances of executing an innocent person.
  Or talking of repealing the Brady bill and assault weapons ban.
  And finally, this week, passing legislation that will very likely 
take police officers off the streets of America.
  In fact, too many of our colleagues could win an award for saying yes 
to the gun lobby, but saying no to our Constitution.
  So, we might have to wait until March 27 to see who wins an Oscar.
  But we know today who loses because of these fake, ineffective crime 
proposals.
  Our children lose. Our families lose. Our constituents lose. Every 
American who wants a safer neighborhood loses--in a category that is 
far more important than favorite movies.

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