Political Quotes

“this is National Victim Rights Week and today I am introducing a bill to amend section 991(a) of title 28, United States Code, to require certain members of the United States Sentencing Commission to be selected from among individuals who are victims of a crime of violence. Each year, Mr. President, about 40 million Americans are victimized by crime. Yet, all too often, the voices of those victims are lost in the criminal justice system. In fact, it often seems that the voices of those who commit crimes are heard with greater attentiveness by our criminal justice system than are the voices of the victims of crime. As President Reagan's Task Force on Victims of Crime stated in its 1982 report, ``the criminal justice system has lost its essential balance.'' One response to this problem has been S.J. Res. 44, a constitutional amendment to protect the rights of victims of crime, which has been introduced in this Congress by Senators Kyl and Feinstein. I am proud to be a cosponsor of that crime victims constitutional amendment. The bill that I am introducing today, Mr. President, is another response to the problem of the under representation of victims' rights in our criminal justice system. My bill, which my distinguished colleagues from North Carolina, Senators Faircloth and Helms, are cosponsoring, would reserve two of the seven seats on the United States Sentencing Commission for victims of violent crime.”