[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 64 (Monday, May 16, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H3266]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  FEDERALIZING THE CRIME OF KILLING A POLICE OFFICER AND FLEEING THE 
                                COUNTRY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 4, 2005, the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DREIER. Madam Speaker, I have taken this time today to announce 
the introduction of legislation. Today my very distinguished colleague, 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff), has joined me in 
introducing legislation that calls for making it a Federal crime to 
kill a law enforcement officer and flee the country.
  Just yesterday we saw the memorial held for the fallen peace 
officers, and we had here in Washington the Sheriff of Los Angeles 
County, Lee Baca, who is really the progenitor of this legislation, 
along with the Chief of Police of the City of La Verne, Ron Ingels, who 
was representing the California Police Chiefs Association and the Los 
Angeles County Police Chiefs Association.
  We have had over the past 3 years a very tragic case in Southern 
California. Three years ago this last month we saw the tragic murder of 
Deputy Sheriff David March by a Mexican national, who chose to first 
shoot Deputy March and leave and then return and put the gun to Deputy 
Sheriff March's head and kill him, and then flee the country, knowing 
full well that he would face, if extradited, the death penalty, and 
that would prevent the Mexican government from extraditing him.
  Well, over the past 3 years, in a bipartisan way, my colleagues the 
gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon), who represents the March 
family, along with the gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff), whom I 
mentioned, the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman), and a wide range 
of Members, especially of the California delegation, have come together 
trying to deal with this issue.
  While the introduction of today's legislation will not directly deal 
with the March case, it clearly is legislation that is designed to 
ensure that as we look at the prospect of someone killing a law 
enforcement officer and fleeing the country, we will have the full 
force of the Federal Government behind our quest for a resolution. This 
does not in any way preempt the opportunity for county and State 
jurisdictions to pursue with vigor a case such as this, but it does 
provide the option for the Federal Government to be involved, and also 
to deal with any kind of negotiating that might be necessary to ensure 
that someone can be extradited.
  Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join as cosponsors of 
this legislation, which will federalize the crime of killing a law 
enforcement officer and fleeing the country. As I say, the bill is 
going to be introduced today, so I would encourage as many of my 
colleagues as possible to join on board in this bipartisan effort to 
help ensure that we bring the killers of law enforcement officials to 
justice.

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