[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 132 (Wednesday, October 9, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1809]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THE POLLY KLAAS FOUNDATION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 9, 2002

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, Polly Klaas was a vibrant, talented child, 
full of life with the promise of a bright future. When she was 
kidnapped at knifepoint from her bedroom slumber party on October 1, 
1993, in my hometown Petaluma, California, our community responded with 
an unprecedented effort to find her. The Polly Klaas Foundation was 
formed October 23, 1993, to help continue that search for Polly.
  Following the discovery of her murderer, the Foundation adopted a new 
mission: ``Make America Safe For Children.`` As part of their efforts, 
they've been working hard at the state level to enact Amber Alert 
plans. Amber Alerts empower the community to take action--immediately. 
From Southern California to St. Louis to Philadelphia, the recent wave 
of child abductions has kept our nation riveted, angry, and scared for 
the safety of our children. The Amber Alert Plan is a voluntary 
cooperative program between law enforcement agencies and local 
broadcasters that sends emergency alerts to the public when a child has 
been abducted. Amber Alerts leap into action in the first crucial hours 
of a kidnapping when the tracks left by the abductor are still fresh. 
Like a modern day, high-speed Paul Revere, Amber Alerts spread the word 
fast so we don't have to rely on slower methods like handing out 
flyers, or word of mouth for news of the abduction to catch on from one 
city to the next.
  Just two months ago, only 14 states had statewide Amber Alerts. Now, 
thanks in part to the Polly Klaas Foundation, 28 states have statewide 
Amber Alerts. However, our work is far from done.
  We must continue to work towards a national network for Amber Alerts 
so that law enforcement can use Amber Alerts across state lines. The 
Senate passed an excellent bill in September that would do just that. 
The House Judiciary Committee had a chance to pass that bill, H.R. 
5326, on the House floor yesterday.
  Instead, they unfortunately chose to pass H.R. 5422, the Child 
Abduction Prevention Act. While this bill contained the non-
controversial Amber Alert provisions, it also contained far more 
controversial provisions concerning death penalties, mandatory minimum 
sentences, wiretap extensions, pre-trial release, and a whole host of 
other unrelated provisions which will impede this bills chance of final 
passage in the Senate. It was a poor decision by the House leadership 
that will doom the Senate's good work.
  At the White House Conference on Missing and Exploited Children last 
week, President Bush announced that the Justice Department would 
develop a national standard for the Amber Alert, and named a new Amber 
Alert coordinator at the Justice Department who will work on increasing 
cooperation among state and local plans. Congress must pass legislation 
to give the new coordinator the legal authority; funding and 
programmatic guidelines needed to effectively perform his duties and 
help to protect our children.
  It is impossible to overstate the importance of AMBER Alert 
legislation. The statistics and the facts are clear: Amber Alerts are 
already being credited with saving the lives of 31 children around the 
country. But the real people, the real stories, the real lives saved 
are far more convincing than any statistic. Just look in the eyes of 
the parents of the two Riverside, California teenagers whose lives were 
saved because of the Amber Alert, and you will know why this law is so 
important.
  I am proud of the Polly Klaas Foundation and would like to thank the 
foundation for all of the hard work they have been doing to enact Amber 
Alert programs.
  Mr. Speaker, we still have time in this legislative session to bring 
the Senate bill to the House floor, and we should do just that. Every 
day that a national Amber Alert system is not in place, is another day 
that law enforcement and the public have inadequate tools and resources 
needed to protect our children.

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