[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 67 (Friday, May 22, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E977]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              IN HONOR OF NATIONAL MISSING CHILDREN'S DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAY W. JOHNSON

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 22, 1998

  Mr. JOHNSON of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor National 
Missing Children's Day on Monday, May 25, to remember the girls and 
boys for whom we search, and to pay my respect to the mothers and 
fathers across Northeast Wisconsin--parents like Phyllis Makowski of 
Marinette, Wisconsin--and across the country who know the suffering 
that comes with a missing child.
  Before I was elected to Congress, I reported the news every night to 
the people of Northeast Wisconsin. We reported on every story 
imaginable, but it was the stories of families who were searching for 
loved ones that I will never forget. Whether it was 12-year-old Cora 
Jones from Appleton, or Lauri Depies of Menasha, the emotions were 
heart-wrenching and the events were tragic. I had the opportunity many 
times to speak with the mothers and fathers as they searched for their 
missing children--I will always remember the trauma and the despair 
they were subjected to.
  That is why Jay Breyer and Kim Maas from ``Youth Educated in 
Safety,`` or ``Y.E.S.,'' came to visit with me in Washington to tell me 
about a loophole in the law that was hindering the search for missing 
children, they had my immediate attention. Because I know the pain 
dealt to the families and the entire community, when a child is missing 
and there are no answers, only questions.
  That meeting led to the introduction of new legislation by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Lampson), the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lantos), and myself. We call the bill, ``Jennifer's Law,`` named in 
honor of Jennifer Wilmer, who has been missing since 1993, and whose 
mother, Susan, has fought so hard to help other families in this 
terrible situation. ``Jennifer's Law`` is aimed at helping the families 
of missing persons bring closure to their search, and giving the police 
more information to solve crimes.
  Right now, we have a national crime information center (NCIC) 
database of missing persons. We also have a separate list of 
unidentified persons. But, tragically, these lists cannot be adequately 
cross-referenced.
  We believe there are thousands of unidentified persons found every 
year, deceased or living (perhaps with amnesia), who are not reported 
in a way that will help us close cases where people are missing.
  It is reported that New York City alone buries as many as 3,000 
unclaimed bodies every year. But these aren't just bodies. They are 
real lives.
  But imagine that for every body found is a family hoping for clues . 
. . searching  . .  waiting for an answer. Also imagine that for every 
unclaimed, unidentified body may be clues about a criminal who may 
never be caught.
  Our bill, ``Jennifer's Law,`` would enhance the reporting of 
information about unidentified persons. It would require states to 
report to the missing persons file any information on unidentified 
persons they find in their jurisdiction. The legislation also requires 
the FBI to modernize the missing persons file and the unidentified 
persons file to make these lists compatible for cross-referencing.
  By improving the ability of the FBI to cross-reference the national 
missing persons file with an enhanced unidentified persons file, many 
families will find the closure they need as they search for missing 
children, husbands, wives, and other family members. Also, we expect 
that better information about these unidentified bodies--dental 
records, fingerprints, and x-rays--would bring many clues to help track 
down predators and criminals.
  A logical and complete cross-referencing of the missing persons file 
and the unidentified persons file simply does not exist right now. But 
it will.
  Families who are searching for loved ones deserve our best effort and 
the right answers. We should use every resource at our disposal to help 
these families and track down criminals. On National Missing Children's 
Day, I want to encourage my colleagues to lend their support to this 
worthy legislation for families of missing children who need our help.

                          ____________________