[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 7 (Thursday, February 5, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S444]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CONDEMNING CLINIC BOMBING

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, earlier today, I submitted a resolution, 
Senate Resolution 173. It is very straightforward. It condemns last 
week's tragic bombing of a reproductive health services clinic in 
Birmingham, AL. As most of us know, this vicious and unprovoked attack 
killed a police officer and critically injured a clinic worker. We 
already know that clinic worker lost one eye, and I watched her 
anguished husband talk about the possibility that she might have an 
operation on the other eye as well.
  I am very proud that this resolution that I have submitted is 
bipartisan. I submitted it on behalf of myself and Senator Chafee, 
Senator Snowe, Senator Mikulski, Senator Jeffords, Senator Lautenberg, 
Senator Murray, Senator Bob Kerrey, Senator Collins and Senator 
Moseley-Braun.
  Last week's attack was the first clinic bombing in the United States 
to cause a death, but, unfortunately, it was far from the first 
bombing. In recent years, reproductive health services clinics have 
been the targets of an unprecedented reign of terror. Last year alone, 
clinics in Atlanta, GA, and in Tulsa, OK, were bombed, resulting in 
many, many serious injuries.
  The reign of terror began with the murder of Dr. David Gunn in 
Pensacola, FL, in 1993. A second abortion provider and his security 
guard were shot and killed the following year in Florida, and on the 
bloodiest day of the antichoice terror campaign, two clinic workers 
were killed and five injured in vicious cold-blooded shootings in 
Brookline, MA.

  All told--all told--over 1,800 violent attacks have been reported at 
reproductive health services clinics in recent years. If I succeed in 
doing anything with this resolution, it is to make my colleagues aware 
that the attacks and the level of violence in those attacks are 
increasing every year.
  I know that reproductive choice is a contentious issue. It was 
decided by the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade in 1973. There are people 
who agree with the decision; there are people who disagree with the 
decision. And believe me, Mr. President, I have the deepest respect for 
people who hold a view other than mine. Mine is a pro-choice view. Mine 
is a view that holds that Roe v. Wade was a balanced, moderate decision 
that weighed the rights of everyone involved and basically says that 
previability, a woman has this right to choose, it is a personal 
decision and Government isn't involved, but postviability, indeed, the 
Government can come in and regulate as long as her life and her health 
are protected at all times.
  But I think what is key here is that when someone explodes a bomb in 
a clinic, this is a violent act. This is not about philosophy, because 
violence is not a form of speech. Violence is not a form of speech. 
Violence is criminal. Violence maims, violence kills, and violence 
hurts the very people who are trying to carry out that cause in a 
peaceful manner.
  I respect those with a different view, but I have no respect for 
anyone in this country, regardless of their view, who ever resort to 
violence as a form of speech. This resolution is not about choice, it 
is about violence.
  I know that there is not a single one of my colleagues who believes 
that murder, bombing and terror and acts of intimidation are 
appropriate ways to express political views. I know that, Mr. 
President. This Congress stands firm on saying if you commit one of 
these acts, it is a Federal crime. These bombings are part of a 
terrorist campaign, a campaign designed to destroy a woman's right to 
choose through violence, making her afraid to go to a clinic maybe just 
to get a Pap smear. Maybe it is her only line of health care. Maybe she 
wants to find out how she can conceive, so she goes to a clinic. Or 
maybe she is exercising her right to choose, which is the law of the 
land.
  The U.S. Senate must condemn these attacks as strongly and 
unequivocally as we condemn other acts of terrorism. When we hear about 
other acts of terrorism, whether in America or around the world, we are 
down here with a resolution of condemnation. Well, we should be down 
here now.
  I am proud of the number of cosponsors I have. I invite my colleagues 
who may be listening to please join in. You need to be on the side of 
protecting the people whom you represent as they exercise their 
constitutionally given rights.
  In addition to condemning this attack, this resolution expresses the 
sense of the Senate that the Attorney General should fully enforce 
existing laws to protect the rights of American women seeking care at 
these reproductive health care clinics. Again, we passed a law. It is a 
Federal crime to do violence at these clinics. We need to enforce that 
law. We need to protect these clinics. We need to devote more 
resources.
  Here is a policeman, alone, unsuspecting, getting caught up in a 
bombing of a clinic, dying, leaving his family, all alone, watching a 
clinic, and being the victim of an explosive device, a bomb. It may 
well be that the people who perpetrated this, perpetrated other 
attacks. We don't know that for sure, but we do know one thing. There 
was a written message that this isn't where they are going to stop. 
There can be no quarter for these people in this country. It is 
cowardly to do what they did.
  We have a law that says it is a Federal crime to do what they did. We 
need to prevent these things from happening by devoting more resources, 
and I call on the Attorney General to do that. We can't leave policemen 
alone facing these terrorists. We can't leave clinic workers alone 
facing these terrorists. We can't leave patients alone facing these 
terrorists. We need the help of the Federal Government. We pay taxes 
for that. This is an explosive device. This is not only breaking one 
Federal law, but more than one Federal law.
  So I am proud, again, to be joined by my distinguished colleagues in 
offering this resolution. I plan to speak with both leaders, Leader 
Lott and Leader Daschle, about setting aside some time to condemn this 
violence, to stand up for the people of this country and say, whatever 
your view, we respect it; however, violence will not be tolerated in 
this country.
  I think if we did this in a bipartisan way, it would send a clear 
signal to anyone in our country who would even consider making violence 
a form of speech.
  I thank the Presiding Officer, and I yield the floor.
  The Senator from Florida.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.

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