Political Quotes

“I rise in support of H.R. 2780--``Kristen's Act''--which was introduced by the Gentlelady from North Carolina, Sue Myrick. Today, there are approximately 100,000 people who have been reported as missing to the FBI's National Crime Information Center. About 42,000 of them are adults. The families of missing children can-- and often do--turn to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the very successful national clearinghouse for missing child cases. The Center has helped locate thousands of missing children and provides much needed support to the bereaved families who are searching for them. Kristen's Act would establish the first national clearinghouse for missing adults. It would authorize grants to states to (1) assist law enforcement and families in locating missing adults; (2) create a national database for the purpose of tracking missing adults who are determined by law enforcement to be endangered due to age, mental capacity, or the circumstances of their disappearance; (3) maintain statistics on missing adults; (4) provide informational resources and referrals to families of missing adults; and (5) assist in public notification and victim advocacy of this issue. The need for this legislation was brought home to me by the case of Brian Welzien, a 21-year-old student at Northern Illinois University, who disappeared without a trace after celebrating at a restaurant in Chicago last New year's Eve. His disappearance was inexplicable.”