Jack Brooks: “I am pleased to appear today on behalf of the Committee on the Judiciary to begin general debate on H.R. 4092, the…”

“I am pleased to appear today on behalf of the Committee on the Judiciary to begin general debate on H.R. 4092, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. The legislation is the result of perhaps the most extensive review of policy and substance surrounding the complex issue of crime in the past 15 years. There is a simple, irreducible reason why crime--both its punishment and prevention--is the preeminent issue on the minds of most American citizens: it is because no force is more damaging to the fabric of national life than acts of violence against person and property. We cannot as a people be truly free when we live in fear; and there is none among us who has not at one time felt fear in the workplace, in one's neighborhood, and, yes in one's own home. Crime also has a corrosive effect on a society. By draining the energy and resources of the Government from more productive pursuits, crime stifles economic progress and impedes the development of a standard of living to allow our citizens to enjoy the fruits of their labor, and their freedom as Americans. The omnibus legislation before you is carefully balanced: it's hardnosed about punishment yet forward looking in seeking to prevent a whole new generation from going down the wrong road. We can do no less. From the outset, our purpose has been to construct a bill that can reach the President's desk and not be a hodge-podge of ill-conceived initiatives.”