Zoe Lofgren: “this resolution simply expresses the sense of the Congress that violent criminals should face severe penalties for their…”

“this resolution simply expresses the sense of the Congress that violent criminals should face severe penalties for their behavior. I think the resolution gives us an opportunity to reflect on one of the biggest success stories in memory, which is the huge decrease in the crime rate, an astonishing 34 percent reduction since 1991, and it is continuing to fall. I think it is important to realize that there are different elements contributing to the falling crime rate. First and foremost, I think it has been aggressive community based policing, the 100,000 new cops on the beat program. Second, I agree with the gentleman from Florida that repeat violent offenders do need to be kept from their potential victims and that efforts to keep violent criminals incarcerated for most of their sentence have played a role in the falling crime rate. Third, gun control efforts that we have enacted, including the Brady bill and the ban on assault weapons have done a lot to make our communities safer. Last but not least is the role of prevention programs. I would say of the four elements of a balanced program, it is prevention that has been most starved for attention and for resources. The cumulative effect, however, of the four balances, community policing, career repeat violent offenders being incarcerated, as well as the gun control, and then, finally, prevention programs has yielded this result. I thank the gentleman from Michigan for his resolution.”