[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 151 (Tuesday, September 23, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S9228]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  UNANIMOUS-CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 4120

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, we are now moving to title II in the 
Advancing America's Priorities Act, which was a set of Judiciary 
Committee bills blocked by Senator Coburn and supported by the 
Republicans. The bills Senator Coburn blocked included the Emmett Till 
Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, to help solve unsolved civil rights-
era crimes; the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction 
Reauthorization and Improvement Act; the reauthorization of the 
successful Drug Endangered Children Program, to help kids who are 
victims of the drug trade; the PROTECT Our Children Act, to stop 
dangerous Internet child predators, molesters, and pornographers.
  Each of these bills passed the House with broad bipartisan support. 
Of course they have broad bipartisan support here. Procedurally, we 
have been blocked because of Senator Coburn, and being procedurally 
supported by his Republican colleagues. I hope we can pass some of 
these.
  Let's talk about the child pornography prosecution bills. These bills 
will increase the penalties for child pornography and change the 
criminal law to make it easier to convict these people. It is amazing 
that they have been blocked for so long. Hopefully we can get them 
completed. We have combined them into a single bill to speed enactment. 
I hope we are clear on these.
  I ask unanimous consent that H.R. 4120 be discharged from the 
Judiciary Committee; that the Senate immediately proceed to the bill; 
that all after the enacting clause be stricken and an amendment at the 
desk consisting of text of subtitles (d) and (e) of title II of S. 3297 
be inserted in lieu thereof; that the amendment be considered and 
agreed to, the bill as amended be read a third time and passed, and the 
motions to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action 
or debate.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
  Mr. COBURN. Reserving the right to object, a question for the 
majority leader: Is this bill similar to what we had discussed in our 
negotiations and does it, in fact, include the SAFE Act or not?
  Mr. REID. This is not the PROTECT Act. These are on child 
pornography. This is not the PROTECT Act.
  Mr. CORNYN. Pending looking at what the majority leader sent over, on 
our side we look forward to supporting that, should it be as 
represented by the majority leader. Reserving the right to object, I 
will object at this time until we have a chance to look at that.

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