Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. On October 30, 2004, President George W. Bush signed into law the Justice for All Act of 2004. The law contains four very important sections related to victims of crime and improving the criminal justice process. The law protects the rights of crime victims and eliminates the substantial backlog of DNA samples collected from both crime scenes and convicted offenders. It also improves and expands the DNA testing capacity of Federal, State, and local crime laboratories. Finally, it establishes the rights of crime victims in Federal criminal proceedings and provides mechanisms for enforcing these rights. The bill before us today, S. 2577, the Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2016, is a bipartisan and bicameral bill that builds on the 2004 Justice for All Act. It further improves the criminal justice system and ensures public confidence in it. It strengthens crime victims' rights and programs by increasing access to restitution for Federal crime victims. The act also further reduces the rape kit backlog and provides resources for forensic labs while protecting the innocent by improving access to post-conviction DNA testing. The Justice for All Act works to improve the administration of criminal justice programs by increasing accountability for Federal funds and requiring the Justice Department to assist State and local governments to improve their indigent defense systems.…”