Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, it seems quite clear that the basic thrust of the crime bill under consideration in the House of Representatives based from a policy standpoint has two prongs: The first and very important is prevention. The legislation that we have considered and will ultimately decide contains very important, innovative programs, but also a part of the crime bill and a part I think our constituents expect us to address is the enforcement provisions. And while we have considered three strikes legislation, while we have considered new death penalties under the Federal Criminal Code, it seems that what we have yet to consider and what up to this point has been lacking in our legislation is an effort on the part of the Congress through the Federal statutes to influence the conduct of State legislatures in the incarceration of violent criminals at the State level. Mr. Chairman, we know from statistics that 96 percent or 97 percent of the prosecution for felony offenses in this country occurs in the State courts, not in the Federal courts. Mr. Chairman, the Chapman amendment is an effort to influence the outcome of the sentencing and the time that violent and repeat offenders will serve as a result of State prosecutions in America. Mr. Chairman, our prisons across this country are bursting at the seams.”