Ben Cardin

If you base it upon the information that has been presented by the advocacy community, then we do have a rising problem.

They are being targeted because they are perceived by the attacker as a worthy victim because they are homeless.

Well, Congresswoman Johnson, thank you for your testimony, but more importantly, thank you for your leadership on this issue in the Congress.

The problem is it is not divided as to the homeless today.

Well, I think in order to counter the strategy, there are a lot of things we need to do, but we also need to have accurate information.

It seems like we need to have good information to make decisions.

I would hope that we were beyond this, but until we get the information as to whether ads like this are having impact, it is difficult, I think, for us to develop a strategy to deal with it.

We do not disagree with that, but it reminds me of people who complain that we should not try to stop wars because we cannot stop all wars or we should not fight for human rights because we cannot end all human rights abuses.

Is it useful to have that information? Or do you oppose knowing the amount of violent acts against individuals based upon race, based upon religion, based upon gender or gender identification?

Now, I also applaud your efforts with the Hate Crimes/Anti-Bias Task Force.

The purpose of this bill, as I pointed out, is to get uniform information.

Last fall, I introduced the Hate Crimes Against the Homeless Statistics Act with Senator Collins in an effort to get uniform data collection on this type of violence.

When I hear the horrific stories about murders, assaults, and rapes committed against our Nation's homeless, I ask myself: Is this really America?

The homeless, just because they are homeless, are being victimized, and that needs to stop in America.

When I heard about John McGraham being doused with gasoline and set ablaze, I was shocked and horrified that this could happen to a fellow human being and just wondered where we are heading.

I am for making progress in every area we can.

I believe that you would find the statistical information on most of the status crimes that I have talked about.

Well, let me thank you for your testimony. We hear statistics and it is important to understand that every one of those statistics is a person and a family.

I want to personally thank Chairman Benjamin L. Cardin, Ranking Member Lindsey Graham, Chairman Arlen Specter, and the other members of the Committee for the privilege of testifying on the scourge of violence directed against homeless…

Hunt the homeless. Kill one for fun. We are 87 percent sure it is legal.

I understand the need to invest now, but I can tell you 5 years from now you are not going to be able to buy as much with the same dollars as today.

I think some of us get concerned as to whether we are delaying fiscal reality as far as making sure the revenues are there to finance a 6-year program.

I am for creative financing, for leveraging the best that we can particularly as it relates to the private sector.

Well, and I am just going to underscore the point that the transportation funding proposals in the past have enjoyed broader support because it is called a user fee.

My, I guess, major concern is that as you look at the historical way that we have financed transportation programs using a gasoline tax...