[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 160 (Thursday, November 13, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S12662]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         CHILD EXPLOITATION SENTENCING ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 1997

 Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I rise today to voice my 
disappointment that in the final hours of this legislative session, a 
piece of legislation sponsored by my colleague, Senator DeWine and I, 
S. 900 has apparently been stopped from passing the Senate because of 
an objection from the other side of the aisle.
  S. 900 is a bi-partisan effort to address the growing problem of 
criminals using the Internet to contact and target young children that 
they ultimately sexually abuse and exploit. This bill requires the 
United States Sentencing Commission to create a sentencing enhancement 
for criminals who use the Internet to facilitate sexual crimes against 
young people. The legislation also increases penalties for repeat 
sexual offenders.
  S. 900 has, on two occasions, received the unanimous support of the 
Senate Judiciary Committee. It has passed the Committee as a free-
standing measure and was adopted as an amendment to juvenile justice 
legislation considered by the Committee earlier this year. Yet, we are 
now told that the bill has been held. I find it troubling that someone 
would object to legislation designed to help protect young children 
from being sexual abused and molested and that such objection would be 
made, without providing Senator DeWine or myself an opportunity to 
address whatever concerns might exist.
  Mr. President, the misuse of the Internet is a growing problem. FBI 
Director Freeh has testified to this fact and the National Center for 
Missing and Exploited Children--which supports the DeWine/Feingold 
legislation--agrees that the situation is a growing concern. S. 900 is 
a straightforward, bipartisan effort to send the message that 
pedophiles and child molesters will not be allowed to exploit the 
Internet to commit their illicit crimes against children. While I 
regret that someone has chosen to slow this effort to protect children, 
I fully intend to return to this issue next year and will continue to 
push for the adoption of this legislation.

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