[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 90 (Thursday, July 13, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1221-E1222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              AIMEE'S LAW

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. JERRY WELLER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 11, 2000

  Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 894, the No 
Second Chances for Murderers, Rapists, or Child Molesters Act (Aimee's 
Law).
  Each year more than 14,000 murders, rapes, and sexual assaults are 
committed by previously convicted murderers and sex offenders. While 
the United States has been moving towards lengthy mandatory sentences 
for a number of crimes, sentences for murder, child molestation and 
rape often fall short.
  Aimee's Law would add accountability to the existing formula for 
distributing federal crime funds to states that convict a murderer, 
rapist, or child molester, if that criminal had previously been 
convicted of the same crime in a different state. The cost of 
prosecuting and incarcerating the criminal would be deducted from the 
federal crime funds intended to go to the state where a criminal 
previously committed one of these horrible crimes, and instead be sent 
to the state that is forced to prosecute the same criminal, for the 
same crime, against another innocent victim.
  Tragedies like this are happening all across America, including in my 
home state. This type of tragedy struck close to home when a child in 
my District was molested and murdered by a repeat offender. Every day 
that we

[[Page E1222]]

wait to pass this bill we put another innocent person at risk of being 
harmed.
  I urge my colleagues to support this common-sense legislation.

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