Jack Brooks: “This motion makes the sixth time that the other side of the aisle has seen fit to try and derail through procedural…”

“This motion makes the sixth time that the other side of the aisle has seen fit to try and derail through procedural tactics the toughest, most carefully structured crime bill to come out of the House in 20 years. The effort to stall movement of the crime bill first began as an effort to try and defeat the rule at the very beginning of the debate, even though that rule permitted 68 amendments going to every major plank of the bill. The same negative effort was next seen in a series of unprecedented motions to rise and to 'strike after the enacting clause.' All went down to inglorious and appropriate defeat. At the end of the process, we now witness the latest reincarnation of their efforts to stop the crime bill with a motion to recommit with instructions. As we all know, the motion to recommit contains language that has already been voted down by this body. Yet the other side persisted in denying the truth recognized by all objective observers. The bill now poised to pass the House represents a breakthrough effort to achieve a balance between hard-nosed punishment and forward-looking prevention.”