On the recordJanuary 25, 1994
I want to welcome back all of our colleagues to Washington, DC, my hometown, and, for all practical purposes until the end of this session, yours. As you found when you went home, residence is not all we have in common; fear and spread of crime have eclipsed other issues with 9 out of 10 Americans feeling it is worse than it was a year ago. There is, thus, a clearer kinship across all party and district boundaries on this issue that has needlessly polarized us. The floor of the House has been a place to chastise this city as if crime were patented and put in a bottle labeled 'District of Columbia.' But, Mr. Speaker, the national crime genie has long been out of the bottle. Back home you discovered new magazine titles like 'Rural Crime Alert' and new-found watch programs like Cities Neighborhood Watch groups. The crime menace has shown its brutal side well beyond this city's borders. Let our show of force be a balanced crime bill that catches crime both coming and going.
