Political Quotes

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 6847. The legislation exposes additional persons to preexisting mandatory minimum sentences of 15, 25, 35, or even mandatory life in prison. While I support the underlying goal of punishing sex offenders and I agree that they should be punished harshly, I stand against mandatory minimums. For decades now, extensive research and evidence has demonstrated that mandatory minimums fail to reduce crime; they discriminate against minorities; they waste the taxpayer's money; and they often require a judge to impose sentences so bizarre that they violate common sense. Unfortunately, there are already too many mandatory minimums in the Federal code. If we ever expect to do anything about that problem and actually address this driver of mass incarceration, the first step we have to take is to stop passing or expanding mandatory minimums. The mandatory minimums in the code today did not get there all at once. They got there one at a time, each one part of a larger bill, which, on balance, would seem like a good idea. Giving lip service to the suggestion that you would have preferred that the mandatory minimum not be in the bill but then vote for the bill anyway not only creates the new mandatory minimum, but it also guarantees that those who support mandatory minimums would include them in the next crime bill.…”