Sheila Jackson Lee: “I ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak about my amendment to H.R. 1761…”

“I ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak about my amendment to H.R. 1761, ``Protecting Against Child Exploitation Act.'' As Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, I offer this amendment to help make H.R. 1761 a better bill to achieve its intended purpose. Though troubled by any sexually explicit activity that may exploit and otherwise, harm our children, I believe that H.R. 1761, the ``Protecting Against Child Exploitation Act,'' is deadly and counterproductive to ensuring protection of our youth population in our new technology era. This bill will exacerbate overwhelming concerns with the unfair and unjust mandatory minimum sentencing that contributes to the over- criminalization of juveniles and mass incarceration generally. Simply put, this bill will add to the already tragic realities of many juveniles. Rather than proceeding with the caution befitting an expansion of the mandatory sentencing penalty, H.R. 1761 is being rushed to the House Floor, without a single hearing and without the opportunity to consider amendments directly relevant to whether our system of criminalizing juveniles for sexting is fair, just, and sound policy. Though presented as a proposal to protect children, H.R. 1761 excessively penalizes juveniles and creates life altering criminal charges when engaged in `sexting'.…”