[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24727]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    HATE CRIMES PROVISION IN THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT

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                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 13, 2009

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, our nation's founding principles 
guarantee individual freedom and liberty. We risk these rights when 
hateful discrimination and violence are allowed to flourish. Hate 
crimes prevention legislation gives law enforcement the tools they need 
to protect our liberties and ensure that no American is assaulted 
because of who they are.
  We have existing federal hate crimes laws to assist local law 
enforcement in cases of violent crimes motivated by a victim's race, 
color, religion, or national origin. With this legislation, we expand 
protections to gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and 
disability.
  Hate crimes devastate individuals and families and terrorize 
communities. By giving law enforcement resources to combat and 
prosecute the thousands of hate crimes that occur in our country each 
year, we continue to defend those freedoms that define America's 
character.

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