[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 10, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H402]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING CARLIE BRUCIA

  (Mr. FOLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, it is with a saddened heart that I come to 
speak to this Chamber today. Last week our Nation was again rocked when 
we learned of another senseless death of an innocent child. Carlie 
Brucia, a beautiful young girl from Sarasota, Florida, was violently 
kidnapped and brutally murdered on her way home from a friend's house, 
not too far away from her own.
  There is nothing I can say that will bring comfort to her family 
today. No parent should ever lose a child, and all communities 
throughout the country should shiver at what has happened in Florida 
this past week. This crime happened in daylight, on a major 
thoroughfare and in front of passersby. Carlie's death is not just her 
family's loss but a loss to us all.
  This fallen angel's death must not be in vain. Police and prosecutors 
must ensure that her murderer will never see the light of day again, 
but that is not enough. We must come together as a community, and as a 
State, to make sure we never let such a crime happen in our backyard 
again.
  The AMBER Alert system is the best tool we have, but it is just a 
tool. I wish there was something I could do to undo this terrible 
crime, but I cannot. What I can offer is my promise to Carlie's family 
that I will never stop working to ensure that law enforcement has the 
tools necessary to capture these pedophiles and that families are fully 
armed with the information they need to protect themselves and their 
children.
  Mr. Speaker, all I can wish for is that I will never have to come to 
the House floor to talk about the murder of another child ever again. I 
want to offer my deepest condolences to Carlie's family. I hope that 
with the help of their family and friends they will be able to get 
through this terrible time. God bless Carlie.

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