Louise Slaughter: “Mr. Chairman, it has been a joy working with the gentleman from Florida (Mr. McCollum) and with his staff on this…”

“Mr. Chairman, it has been a joy working with the gentleman from Florida (Mr. McCollum) and with his staff on this critical issue. I have spent about 4 years here in Congress working on what to do about child protection against sexual predators, and I am so pleased that the provisions that are already in this bill will answer this. I think it is a very important step that we have taken here today to address what is really a national epidemic of serial rape. I specifically want to call attention to the section of the bill which calls for imprisonment of rapists with two prior rape convictions in either State or Federal court. These provisions regarding serial rapists are based on similar provisions in the bill that we had passed in last Congress by a vote in the House of 411 to 4. Unfortunately, it languished in the Senate. I thank the chairman again for allowing the full House to consider this important issue. When this bill passes and becomes law, I hope that we will see the last time that we are naming laws in this country after dead children.”