Bill Clinton: “Dear __________: This week, the Senate has an historic chance to move us beyond old labels and partisan divisions by…”

“Dear __________: This week, the Senate has an historic chance to move us beyond old labels and partisan divisions by passing the toughest, smartest Crime Bill in our nation's history. I want to congratulate members of Congress in both houses and both parties who have reached across party lines and worked in good faith to produce this Crime Bill. This isn't a Democratic Crime Bill or a Republican Crime Bill--it's an American Crime Bill, and it will make a difference in every town, every city, and every state in our country. The Crime Bill produced by House and Senate conferees and passed yesterday by Democrats and Republicans in the House achieves all the same objectives as the bipartisan Crime Bill which the Senate passed last November by a vote of 95 to 4. Many of the central provisions of this Crime Bill were included in the Senate bill: * Nearly $9 billion to put 100,000 new police officers on our streets in community policing; * An additional $4.6 billion for federal, state and local law enforcement (a 25% increase above the Senate bill); * $9.9 billion for prisons (a 30% increase above the Senate bill), coupled with tough truth-in-sentencing requirements that will shut the revolving door on violent criminals; * Life imprisonment for repeat violent offenders by making three- strikes-and-you're-out the law of the land; * Federal death penalties for the most heinous of crimes, such as killing a law enforcement officer; * A ban on handgun ownership for juveniles; * Registrat…”