[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17997]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                          SCOUTING FOR ALL ACT

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                               speech of

                           HON. BOB SCHAFFER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 12, 2000

  Mr. SCHAFFER. Mr. Speaker, the House now debates a bill Democrats 
have crafted to revoke the charter of the Boy Scouts of America. It is 
hard to believe the Democrats in Congress have actually proposed this 
measure. It is also hard to believe a private institution, which has 
taught over 100 million boys in America core values and has donated 
hundreds of millions of community service hours, would be the target of 
this vicious attack by the party of Bill Clinton and Al Gore.
  On June 28 of this year, the Supreme Court affirmed the 
Constitutionally protected right of the Boy Scouts of America to set 
its own standards for membership and leadership. Since the decision, 
Democrats have launched a vicious attack on the Boy Scouts seeking the 
financial destruction of the Boy Scouts by urging businesses and civic 
organizations to revoke their sponsorship of the Boy Scouts. In fact, 
when the Boy Scouts were derided at the Democrat National Convention 
this summer, Al Gore did nothing. He didn't object. Al Gore lost on two 
counts. The Supreme Court decision echoed the voice of mainstream 
America, and business and civic organizations remain committed to 
sponsoring the Boy Scouts. So here we are debating another pathetic 
Democrat attempt to force the hateful will of their party's agenda upon 
mainstream America.
  One of the great ironies of the Democrat's bill to revoke the Federal 
Charter of the Boy Scouts of America is their claim of being 
``dedicated to giving working families the tools they need to take care 
of their children'' and their claim they have ``worked to make children 
our nation's top priority.'' Have the Boy Scouts of America not been 
fulfilling the Democrats' goals and more? Have the 100 million Boy 
Scouts, from diverse backgrounds far and wide, not been trained during 
their Scouting experience to embrace civic responsibility and ``help 
other people at all times'' as the Scout Oath states?
  Consider the tenets of Scout Law: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, 
Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, 
and Reverent. Consider the Scout Oath: ``On my honor I will do my best 
to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help 
other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally 
awake, and morally straight.'' Shame on the Democrat party, Bill 
Clinton, and Al Gore for viciously attempting to destroy the Boy Scouts 
of America. It is unconscionable that millions of young Boy Scouts have 
been forced to endure this vicious attack. It is an insult that any 
member of Congress has subjected these young people to such hostility.
  While I have never witnessed such a vitriolic attack upon young 
Americans, I am honored to go on record with America and the Members of 
this House who have raced to defend the Boy Scouts from this injustice. 
My son, Justin, has been involved in Scouting for many years now. I can 
see the developmental benefits he has reaped from his experience with 
the Boy Scouts of America. I do not know how I would ever explain to 
him that he could not be a Scout anymore, should Democrats win today's 
contest on the House floor. My colleagues, we must prevail on behalf of 
the Boy Scouts, by crushing this awful bill which the Democrats have 
proposed and by sending a clear message to the country: The Boy Scouts 
of America are deeply appreciated, celebrated, embraced and protected 
for the good work they do to raise young boys to be future leaders of a 
caliber much higher than the proponents of this bill which we must 
quickly, and resoundingly defeat.

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