[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 100 (Monday, July 22, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H5072]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  2130

  NATIONAL DNA DATABASE LEGISLATION
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Platts). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the time that I 
have to address a very important matter. It can be classified similar 
to a movie that got the attention of many Americans some years ago 
called Network. One of the principal actors took to a tall building and 
raised its window and shouted, ``I can't take it anymore.'' For some 
reason, that struck a chord in America. Whatever that issue was, it may 
not have been what the movie was discussing, but it raised the level of 
one's ability to protest: ``I can't take it anymore.''
  Mr. Speaker, I cannot take the murderous acts that are being 
perpetrated on our children, one after another. Some, of course, we do 
not know their end and we hope that our prayers will bring them home. 
But we realize that we have a crisis of sorts. Even though we can find 
evidence that the numbers of missing children, exploited children may 
be going down, one child is one too many. I share with my colleagues 
just a picture of a loving mother and her baby. It could be a loving 
father, a loving grandmother, a loving grandfather, but it shows the 
vulnerability of a child.
  We have in this country become maybe jaded. One child after another, 
Samantha Runnion being the last, most vicious and violent exhibition of 
the lowest grade of individual, a 5-year-old playing with her friend in 
front of her house being snatched away, snatched away screaming and 
kicking and pleading for her life. Then, to find this child's nude body 
only a day later, knowing that she had been sexually assaulted and 
strangled. I cannot take it anymore, and none of us in this Congress 
and none of us in this land should take this abuse of our children.
  Elizabeth Smart, Laura Ayala in my own community, a 13-year-old just 
trying to get a newspaper for her homework, maybe less than 50 feet 
away from a store and being snatched away, newspaper scattered, sandals 
left in place, no sign of her. Mother grieving, family grieving; the 
vulnerability of our children. Danielle Van Dam, Rilya Wilson, 5 years 
old, missing for a year before the children's protective services in 
Florida even wanted to say anything. Danielle Van Dam's trial going on 
now with all kinds of circus defenses by the defendant. They have every 
right to have their day in court.
  But, Mr. Speaker, we have a crisis, I believe. In a 1999 report 
authored about children as victims, it states, ``Although the U.S. 
violent crime rate has been decreasing since 1994, homicide remains a 
leading cause of death for young people. Juveniles are twice as likely 
as adults to be victims of serious violent crimes and 3 times as likely 
to be victims of assault. Many of these victims are quite young. Law 
enforcement data indicates that 1 in 18 victims of violent crime is 
under the age of 12. In one-third of the sexual assaults reported to 
law enforcement, the victim is under the age of 12. In most cases 
involving serious violent crime, juvenile victims know the perpetrator, 
who is not the stereotypical stranger, but a family member or 
acquaintance.''
  But, there are strangers, because in the case dealing with some of 
these victims, the perpetrator said, particularly in the Danielle Van 
Dam case, ``I am looking for my dog.'' Children are vulnerable. They 
are caring, they are loving.
  We must find a way, yes, to penalize those who come before the 
system, but we also have to express our outrage that anyone with such 
vial behavior would be accepted by society, and we must provide 
resources so that these individuals can be caught quickly. It is 
important to know that the average victim of abduction and exploitation 
is an 11-year-old girl who meets her abductor within a quarter of a 
mile from home, like Laura Ayala going to get a newspaper.
  Only 22 States sex offender registries collect and maintain DNA 
samples as part of the registration. Only 22 States have a DNA registry 
that can be utilized for sex offenders. Research on sex offenders found 
that over a 4- to 5-year period, 13.4 percent recidivated with another 
sexual offense, and 12.2 percent recidivated with a nonsexual offense, 
violent offense, and 36.6 percent recidivated with any other offense. 
One offense is one too many for me. A long-term follow-up on a study of 
child molesters in Canada found that 42 percent were reconvicted of a 
sexual or violent crime during the 15- to 30-year follow-up period.
  Mr. Speaker, it is important that we do something. This week, I am 
going to file legislation to instruct the Attorney General to establish 
a national DNA database only for sex offenders and violent offenders 
against children. It was noted at the scene where Samantha Runnion lost 
her life that a lot of DNA evidence was there. I can imagine that this 
happens in crime scene after crime scene. With only 22 States even 
bothering to have a collection of DNA data, this legislation is needed, 
Mr. Speaker.
  I am sorry to express this outrage as I close, but it is because of 
the loving relationship and the love we have for our children that 
outrage is befitting and we must legislatively do something. The 
Attorney General must establish this national database of DNA samples 
to be able to help find these horrible people, these sex offenders who 
would do harm to our children, now and immediately.

                          ____________________