[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 79 (Monday, May 14, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1036]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          SUPPORT FOR H.R. 254

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 14, 2007

  Mr. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my 
support for H.R. 254, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007. This 
legislation makes a profound statement that this country will not 
tolerate bigotry and ignorance that results in violence against its 
citizens.
  My first vote as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives 
was for equal rights on housing and employment for the gay, lesbian, 
bisexual and trans-gendered (GLBT) community. As a Member of Congress, 
including this important vote today, I will have proudly voted for this 
legislation three times. It is time for this bill to become law so that 
all Americans can fully participate in and enjoy the rights of a 
democratic society.
  Since 1991 the FBI has received more 113,000 reports of hate crimes 
and we know that this crime is underreported. The message of this bill 
is clear. The country does not tolerate crimes committed against 
individuals based on their sexual orientation. Crimes of hate are 
unlike other violent acts of randomness. Targeting people because of 
their race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender or 
disability is a form of domestic terrorism that sends chilling messages 
to communities that they are not welcome and that intolerance and 
ignorance is alive and well.
  Some have inaccurately suggested that this bill legislates against 
thoughts and ideas. That is absolutely untrue. The focus of this bill 
is to provide local authorities a greater means by which to prosecute 
violent acts of hate, not thoughts. Not only does this bill not 
legislate against thoughts and speech, it explicitly includes First 
Amendment free speech protections for persons accused of acts of hate.
  Current law limits federal jurisdiction over hate crimes to violent 
acts committed against citizens based on religion, race, color and 
national origin if they are targeted while they are participating in 
federally protected activities, such as voting. H.R. 254 will 
strengthen federal law by expanding federal jurisdiction and allocate 
the necessary resources and tools to local law enforcement officials 
and prosecutors to go after individuals who act on their bigotry and 
ignorance with violence. The needed prosecution of hate crimes can 
stretch crucial state and local resources thin. This legislation 
authorizes the Attorney General to make grants available to law 
enforcement agencies that have acquired astounding expenses 
investigating and prosecuting hate crime cases.
  This bill is needed to protect the civil rights of all Americans who 
have been targeted based on their differences and it utilizes the 
resources of this government to ensure fairness and justice. I commend 
the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Conyers, for bringing this 
legislation to the Floor and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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