Jim Ramstad: “Mr. Chairman, Edmund Burke put it best when he said the primary function of Government is to keep people safe in their…”

“Mr. Chairman, Edmund Burke put it best when he said the primary function of Government is to keep people safe in their homes and neighborhoods. If that is the primary function of Government, then Government at all levels has failed the American people. Mr. Chairman, the bill before us today is far from perfect. Members combing through the 386-page document will surely find provisions they don't like. Enacting comprehensive legislation to respond to the epidemic of violence in our society is not an easy task. But we were not elected to do easy tasks. We cannot afford to fail at passing a crime bill this Congress. Partisanship killed the anticrime bill in the last Congress. Bipartisanship must govern this time around. It is time for us to take off our Republican hats, take off our Democrat hats and work together to pass a bill most Members can support. I am pleased that three bills I authored comprise three titles of this bill. Title III incorporates H.R. 1120, the Assaults Against Children Act. This bill closes an alarming gap in Federal law which does not allow felony prosecutions of child abusers who inflict such substantial injuries as broken bones and burns. Title XII incorporates H.R. 3993, the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Act, which I introduced with Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Bliley. This bill addresses the world-wide tragedy of child pornography and prostitution.”