Gerald B. H. Solomon: “Is this Solomon-Hayes bipartisan amendment to restore current minimum sentencing, and listen to this, America, for…”

“Is this Solomon-Hayes bipartisan amendment to restore current minimum sentencing, and listen to this, America, for serious drug offenders, sentences which are stricken by the bill, is that frivolous? I guess it is if Members think recent dramatic increases in drug trafficking, drug abuse and drug-related crimes is frivolous. My constituents do not think so. Neither do the kids over in Baltimore who were just caught in the fifth grade selling cocaine. Who sold it to them? They ought to go to jail with a minimum sentence, and we are repealing it in this bill. And I cannot offer the amendment to stop it. Mr. Speaker, the people are mad as hell about the rising crime rate, and they want to get through crime. They want to lock up these violent repeat offenders, and they want to throw away the keys. I do not want to let them out as this bill would do. Mr. Speaker, by denying the Members their right to offer these amendments that would make the crime bill tough on criminals and helpful to law enforcement, the liberal Democrat leadership is guaranteeing that the final bill will be a watered-down cop-out that makes it easier on criminals and harder for law enforcement to apprehend and convict these murderers who take the lives of law-abiding citizens.”