Fred Heineman: “Mr. Chairman, in deference to the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Mfume], let the record clearly indicate that in the…”

“Mr. Chairman, in deference to the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Mfume], let the record clearly indicate that in the committee--and the gentleman from Michigan can speak to that and others in the Committee on the Judiciary--this issue was brought up at that time, and this issue was voted on at that time by the entire committee. Now, I am not one of those who has never been in a courtroom; I have been in many courtrooms in 38 years. I do have a feel for victims as well as people would have been arrested and are victims. I did offer up an amendment to the crime bill relative to drug courts, and it was at first unanimously adopted by both sides of the aisle. Then there was an order to recommit and another vote taken, at which time it passed 20 to 15. It was not unanimous on that motion to recommit. Those folks on the other side of the aisle voted ``no'' to that motion to accept drug courts in the crime bill and those on this side of the aisle voted in the affirmative. That is how it made its way into the crime bill. We are not insensitive. It was in inadvertently not given the standing in the crime bill that I thought it needed to have, and at that point we did pass it onto the floor. So we are not unfamiliar with courtrooms and with this issue.”