[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 95 (Tuesday, July 8, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H4872-H4873]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   EXPRESSING SENSE OF THE HOUSE THAT NATION'S CHILDREN ARE ITS MOST 
     VALUABLE ASSET AND THEIR PROTECTION SHOULD BE HIGHEST PRIORITY

  Mr. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 154) expressing the sense of the House that the 
Nation's children are its most valuable assets and that their 
protection should be the Nation's highest priority.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 154

       Whereas the Nation's most valuable and vulnerable asset is 
     its children;
       Whereas their protection should be one of our highest 
     priorities;
       Whereas over 1,000,000 children are reported missing, and 
     over 100,000 attempted nonfamily abductions take place every 
     year;
       Whereas over 750,000 children under the age of 18 disappear 
     for some length of time every year;
       Whereas law enforcement officials constantly encounter 
     crimes against children;
       Whereas sex offenders are nine times more likely to repeat 
     their crimes than any other class of criminal;
       Whereas nearly two-thirds of State prisoners serving time 
     for rape and sexual assault victimized children; and
       Whereas while many missing children are returned to their 
     homes, many others are exposed to danger and exploitation: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That--
       (1) all Members of Congress should take appropriate action 
     to ensure the safety and protection of children in their 
     jurisdictions;
       (2) State governments should have in effect laws which 
     register offenders convicted of sexual crimes against 
     children and laws which require law enforcement to notify 
     communities of the presence of these offenders;
       (3) States should have in effect laws which severely punish 
     individuals convicted of offenses against children, 
     especially crimes involving abduction, sexual assault, 
     exploitation, and stalking;
       (4) law enforcement agencies should take the necessary 
     steps to safeguard children against the dangers of abduction 
     and exploitation; and
       (5) State and local law enforcement agencies should work in 
     close cooperation with Federal law enforcement to ensure a 
     rapid and efficient response to reports of child abductions, 
     especially in cases where a child's life may be in danger.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida [Mr. McCollum] and the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. 
Delahunt] each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. McCollum).


                             General Leave

  Mr. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
on the legislation under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  House Resolution 154, introduced by the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. 
Collins] expresses the sense of the House regarding the safety and 
protection of our Nation's children. On May 25 we observed National 
Missing Children's Day, a day established by President Reagan in 1983 
to raise public awareness about the need for increased child 
protection. This resolution, prepared in connection with National 
Missing Children's Day, is a declaration by this Congress that child 
abduction is a very serious matter and that we intend to work with 
State and local law enforcement to ensure that effective and 
appropriate measures are in place to prevent crimes against children.
  Justice Department statistics indicate that over 1 million children 
are reported missing each year. Over 100,000 abductions of children are 
attempted by nonfamily members annually. This resolution includes these 
and other statistics in its findings, in addition to providing that 
States should have in place laws which severely punish individuals 
convicted of offenses against children. The resolution declares that 
law enforcement agencies should take steps necessary to safeguard 
children against the dangers of abduction and exploitation and should 
work in close cooperation with Federal law enforcement to ensure a 
rapid and efficient response to reports of child abductions, especially 
in cases where a life may be in danger. Losing a child is a nightmare 
which becomes a reality for too many Americans. I would like to commend 
the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Collins] for his efforts and I urge my 
colleagues to supported this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution declares that protection of children 
should be our highest national priority. I certainly do not intend to 
take issue with that sentiment as the father of two wonderful 
daughters. I frankly cannot imagine any Member of this House taking 
issue with it.
  However, I do recognize that it is important from time to time for 
the Congress to reaffirm even such self-evident truths. I commend the 
author of the bill, the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Collins] for doing 
so.
  How the States choose to protect our children is, of course, another 
matter.
  This resolution does not actually require the States to do anything. 
For that reason, it was reported favorably by our committee without 
dissent. But it does urge States to take various steps which the 
authors of the bill favor, including the adoption of laws that require 
the registration of convicted sex offenders, and severely punish those 
who commit offenses against children. Most of the States already do 
those things. But again I recognize that it is sometimes useful for the 
Congress to encourage the States to do what they are already doing.
  Given so much harmonious agreement, it seems out of place to strike a 
discordant note, but there is something that does trouble me about this 
resolution. What troubles me is the implicit assumption that the people 
responsible for local law enforcement have more to learn from the 
Congress than we have to learn from them. I know from my own experience 
in law enforcement that this is simply not the case. If communities 
around the country choose to adopt these kinds of measures, it will not 
be because Congress thinks they should. It will be because they have 
determined that these measures are the best way to protect their 
children for whom they are responsible. If they do not do so, it will 
not be because they care less about their children than we do; it will 
be because they have chosen other means which they think would be more 
effective within their communities.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, once we have affirmed our concern for the well-
being of America's children, I hope we will remember the many other 
things that threaten them. Things like malnutrition, lack of education, 
inadequate health care.
  Unlike local law enforcement, these are things that we can do 
something about.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
author of this bill, the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Collins].
  Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts and the 
gentleman from Florida for both their recognition of how important it 
is at times for us to remind ourselves and to remind our State and 
local officials and also our law enforcement officials of the 
importance of our children and to remind them, too, that we are all 
concerned and very interested in their protection.
  As the father of four and the grandfather of six and, by the way, Mr. 
Speaker, I put my request in to my four children hopefully to get a 
baker's

[[Page H4873]]

dozen of those grandchildren, I recognize the importance of love and 
protecting our children, our most valuable asset.
  Therefore, I rise today to offer a resolution referencing the 
importance of our Nation's children. Amidst all the talk of balanced 
budgets, taxes and entitlements and their importance, too, to our 
children, we often overlook the need to protect what truly is the most 
priceless resource in this country, and that is our children. But like 
any other valuable, our children's safety is often threatened. Losing a 
child is a nightmare which has become a reality for far too many 
Americans. In fact, a recent study conducted by the Princeton Survey 
Research Associates indicated that the number one fear of 54 percent of 
the parents who responded is that their child might be kidnapped. And 
while most missing children are returned to their homes safely, many 
are exposed to the evils of exploitation.
  The gentleman from Florida [Mr. McCollum] referred to several 
statistics released recently by the Justice Department. A couple of 
those statistics are that more than 300,000 children are abducted by 
family members each year and that nearly two-thirds of our State 
prisoners serving time for rape and sexual assault victimized children 
and that sex offenders are nine times more likely to repeat their 
crimes than any other criminal.
  Mr. Speaker, our law enforcement agencies are constantly faced with 
the difficult task of stopping crimes against children, and Congress 
has done a commendable job in recent months with the passage of two 
acts, one the Megan's law which gives citizens the power to educate 
themselves with sex offender registration information and, two, the 
Sexual Offender Tracking Identification Act, which aids law enforcement 
officials in tracking down threats to our children.
  Both these measures are a good start but there is much work to be 
done yet. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to offer House 
Resolution 154, which expresses the sense of Congress that the Nation's 
children are its most valuable resource and that their protection 
should be our Nation's highest priority.
  House Resolution 154, as reported earlier, also urges local and State 
governments to take appropriate action to ensure the safety and 
protection of children within their jurisdictions and to severely 
punish offenders of such crimes. I would like to recognize the diligent 
efforts of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the 
subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Florida [Mr. McCollum], the 
ranking member, the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Hyde] and the 
other members in the leader's office for their help with this measure. 
I urge my colleagues to join me in passage of this resolution.
  Mr. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida [Mr. McCollum] that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, House Resolution 154.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________