Porter Goss: “today's debate marks round three on this highly controversial bill--a bill that now creates two new, special categories…”

“today's debate marks round three on this highly controversial bill--a bill that now creates two new, special categories of behavior that will be subject to Federal criminal and civil remedies; two new, special categories of facilities that will have special protection under Federal law preempting States rights, as it were. Unfortunately, this bill is not subject to the much-lauded concept of ``three strikes and you're out''--many of us believe it should be. Originally this bill was targeted solely at those who protest legally or illegally outside of reproductive health clinics. In an effort to underscore the arbitrary nature of this legislation, churches and other places of worship were added as a second protected class in the hopes that the bill's supporters would see the problem with their proposal. Yet, here we are--now with both classes protected. Mr. Speaker, we all should have learned a very long time ago that two wrongs will not make it right--I don't believe we should be federalizing places of worship or reproductive health clinics. While we all share an abhorrence of violence in any setting--including specifically those involving abortion protests--I firmly believe that this bill is unnecessary, because we already have laws on the books that prohibit acts of violence, wherever they may occur. Quite simply, we don't need new laws, we need better enforcement of the laws we already have.”