[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 27674]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 27674]]

                       FIGHTING CRIME IN AMERICA

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, yesterday's edition of the Las Vegas Sun 
contained a story detailing disturbing increases in gang violence and 
gang membership in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Although gang
 violence is not unique to Las Vegas, violent crime is a problem that
 plagues most communities across this Nation.
  As we continue to debate the appropriations bill for the Commerce, 
State, and Justice Departments, my hope is that we can all unite 
together to pass legislation that will improve the Federal response to 
combating violence in America. It is obvious to most Americans that 
putting more police on the street is just a beginning. We must 
encourage all segments of society to work together in implementing 
effective crime fighting strategies.
  Additionally, we need to remove the bureaucratic red tape which 
discourages local law enforcement agencies from seeking Federal
funding for their crime fighting programs.
  I look forward to supporting an appropriations plan which will give 
State and local governments more control over how to best combat crime 
in their individual communities. We can win the battle against crime 
but we need to provide our communities with the power to fight crime.

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