[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 67 (Friday, May 22, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E978]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              IN HONOR OF NATIONAL MISSING CHILDREN'S DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GERALD D. KLECZKA

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 22, 1998

  Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
speak out in favor of an extremely worthwhile and important piece of 
legislation--H.R. 2850, the Jennifer's Law Act.***STRPGFIT***
  This bill would require states to report missing children information 
to the National Crime Information Center so that it can be entered into 
a missing person database. Missing person files are already sent to the 
FBI and, as we all know, two heads, or two agencies in this case, are 
better than one when it comes to finding missing and abducted kids.
  In my congressional district alone, 68 missing children have been 
reported since 1994. Typically, these children are illegally abducted 
by a family member or a stranger, run away from home, or became lost. 
Thankfully, the vast majority of the children in my area were found, 
according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 
However, 5 children are still missing, and that is 5 kids too many.
  Congress needs to do everything possible to find these five 
youngsters, as well as thousands of others from around the country. I 
urge my colleagues to support Jennifer's Law Act to enhance federal and 
state authorities access to data that may reunite families with their 
missing children.

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