Political Quotes

“I want to start out to praise the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Brooks] and the gentleman from New York [Mr. Schumer]. They are two extremely partisan but extremely fair Members. They are even generous. They know this subject and they have contributed a lot, and I want to acknowledge that. At the same time, Mr. Chairman, I must say it is an embarrassment to have 1 hour to debate the subject of crime. If we were to ask anybody in America, ``What are the two or three biggest problems,'' invariably we will hear crime as one of those. We have spent over 1 month debating education in H.R. 6. We have not finished with that yet. However, we have 1 hour to debate the subject of crime. As I say, that is a disservice, that is an embarrassment. This bill, if we were to analogize it to a dance, is hardly a tarantella, it is more a minuet. I have never heard so many strong words about how vicious crime is assailing the home and hearth of Americans, and yet seen so little done about it. I do not mean that there are not some very good things in this bill, there are, and we are supporting them. But we have habeas corpus revisions which are no reform, they are regression. They are a leap back from present law. They weaken present law.”