[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 69 (Wednesday, June 7, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H3935]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HATE CRIMES PREVENTION LEGISLATION

  (Mr. NADLER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, hate crimes are a form of terrorism, and 
they demand a national response from this Congress. My own State of New 
York is expected to pass a hate crimes bill later today. But Congress 
stays silent. The Federal hate crimes bill should be marked up in the 
Committee on the Judiciary and debated on this floor as soon as 
possible. We should stand together to ensure the safety of our citizens 
and to punish those who terrorize large groups of people with vicious 
acts of hatred.
  Some people say that all crimes are hate crimes, that this bill would 
seek to punish thoughts. That is simply not true. The bill does not 
create a new crime for thinking racist or homophobic thoughts, it 
simply strengthens laws to punish those who physically attack others 
based on their perceived race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, 
disability, or gender. It punishes action and intent, not thoughts.
  Hate crimes are especially odious because they victimize more than 
just the individual victim. They are acts of terrorism directed against 
an entire class of citizens. They are intended to terrify people simply 
because of who they are.
  We should act now before new names join those of Matthew Shepard and 
James Byrd as victims of hate crimes. We should pass a sensible hate 
crimes bill this year.

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