Hon. Michael G. Oxley: “I feel compelled to quote the great Yogi Berra and point out that consideration of this bill feels like deja vu all over…”

“I feel compelled to quote the great Yogi Berra and point out that consideration of this bill feels like deja vu all over again. It was just last year that I stood on the floor, managed legislation virtually identical to the bill before us today. That is why I am pleased to join our friend, the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Whitfield] and the gentleman from New York [Mr. Manton] again as cosponsor of H.R. 624, the Armored Car Reciprocity Amendments of 1997, and thank the gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Tauzin] for his leadership in this issue. Armored car crew members have a very dangerous job. They transport billions of dollars' worth of valuables every year, which makes them an increasingly ripe target for attack by everyone from militias to drug gangs to common criminals. In fiscal year 1995, the FBI investigated nearly 70 armored car robberies. In the first 6 months of 1996, they investigated more than 30 new cases of robbery attempts against armored cars and their crews, and I know that it comes as no surprise that there were injuries and fatalities in a number of these cases, as pointed out by previous speakers. Armored car crews are trained professionals who need to be able to protect themselves and their cargo against attack. This bill simply makes it easier for these companies and employees to operate safely and legally and safely in interstate commerce, and that is why I have supported this legislation in the past, why I continue to support it today.”