[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 134 (Friday, October 11, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1838]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     CHILD ABDUCTION PREVENTION ACT

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                               speech of

                             HON. LEE TERRY

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 7, 2002

  Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5422, the 
Child Abduction Prevention Act.
  Parents across the nation have been alarmed by recent high-profile 
child abductions, such as 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart, who was taken 
from her own bedroom at gunpoint in front of her younger sister, and 5-
year-old Samantha Runnion, who was abducted while playing with her 
friend in her own front yard, then found molested and murdered the next 
day. Congress has a responsibility to take tough and effective steps to 
combat the increasing boldness of sexual predators, kidnappers, and 
murderers who prey on children.
  According to law enforcement officials, the best chance of saving a 
child's life lies within the first few hours after an abduction. H.R. 
5422 would expand the AMBER emergency alert broadcast system to give 
children the best chance for rescue during these critical hours. This 
system has already helped rescue 27 children across the nation from 
criminals intent on harming them. My home state of Nebraska recently 
implemented this system to aid police in quickly recovering missing 
children; establishing a special coordinator at the Department of 
Justice and providing $25 million will encourage the remaining 18 
states to do likewise.
  Other vital provisions in H.R. 5422 include mandating lifetime 
sentences for second-time child molesters, allowing judges to order 
lifetime supervision of child sex offenders, increasing electronic 
surveillance authority for child exploitation cases, and criminalizing 
international ``sex tours'' involving children. The House of 
Representatives has already approved these important measures by 
overwhelming majorities; I hope the Senate will follow suit to protect 
the lives and innocence of children, and urge my colleagues to join me 
today in supporting H.R. 5422.

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