Jack Kingston: “435 out of 435 Members of Congress seem to agree that Americans need a tough crime bill. But is the pending legislation…”

“435 out of 435 Members of Congress seem to agree that Americans need a tough crime bill. But is the pending legislation tough? We know this: It does not allow pretrial detention. It does not have truth in sentencing. It increases the number of appeals for death row inmates; and it has a very watered-down ``three strikes and you're out'' provision. What is so good about ``three strikes and you're out''? Why should a violent criminal get three strikes, and let us quit using the word ``strikes'' and talk about what is the heart of the matter, and, that is, victims. Why should a violent criminal get three victims? It is absurd. We need to do what we should do the first time and lock him or her up and not give them an opportunity for a second or third victim. Remember, also, Mr. Speaker, we are only talking about the people who he is caught hurting. Mr. Speaker, ``three strikes and you're out'' is the most overblown discussion in this crime bill and I think we should amend this bill, make it much tougher than it is now, and I support an open rule, not the closed rule we have.”