[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 10, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H542]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      CHILD ONLINE PROTECTION ACT

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, last year the Child Online Protection Act 
passed the House and Senate and was enacted into law. Without 
diminishing free speech, the Act set up a screening process so that 
children could not access obscene material on the Web. This sent a 
strong message that Congress is united in protecting our children from 
pornography over the World Wide Web.
  Now, unbelievably, on February 1, a Federal judge in Pennsylvania has 
blocked enforcement of the Child Online Protection Act. It is appalling 
that our children can easily access these pornographic sites and 
pollute their minds with sexually explicit material. In response to the 
judge's ruling, we must urge the Justice Department to appeal this 
decision.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask all Members of the House to join me in standing 
with American families to protect our children from pornography. Please 
contact my office if Members want to sign the letter to Attorney 
General Janet Reno. We owe this to our children.

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