Louise Slaughter: “Mr. Chairman, why do we want to collect this information nationally? We know a lot of things about sexual predators. One…”

“Mr. Chairman, why do we want to collect this information nationally? We know a lot of things about sexual predators. One thing is that we cannot treat them as other criminals, that they are very apt to be repeat offenders. We know they cross State lines. We had the full support of all the police agencies in the country. They feel in the cases of Polly Klaas and Megan Kanka that had they had prior record information at their fingertips, they might have been able to save Polly Klaas who was alive when the police stopped the car she was allegedly in. One of the things I would like to say to the people of the country is when we talk about the unfunded mandate it is as though they were a four-letter swear word. Unfunded mandates has a ring to it of something almost repugnant. In truth this bill really says that the Federal Government cannot pass any legislation if we are not going to give all the money the legislation requires; that States and local governments will no longer be required to make any contribution of their own.”