Patrick Leahy: “Improving our Nation's juvenile justice system and preventing juvenile delinquency has strong bipartisan support in…”

“Improving our Nation's juvenile justice system and preventing juvenile delinquency has strong bipartisan support in Congress and in the White House. That is why I and other Democrats have introduced juvenile crime legislation both at the beginning and the end of this Congress. Within the first weeks of the 105th Congress, I joined Senator Daschle in introducing the ``Youth Violence, Crime and Drug Abuse Control Act of 1997,'' S. 15, and last month introduced, with the support of Senators Daschle, Biden and other Democratic members, the ``Safe Schools, Safe Streets and Secure Borders Act of 1998,'' S. 2484. That is why the Administration transmitted juvenile crime legislation, the ``Anti-Gang and Youth Violence Control Act of 1997,'' S. 362, which I introduced with Senator Biden on the Administration's behalf in February 1997. Given the strong interest in this issue from both sides of the aisle, the failure of the Senate to consider juvenile crime legislation would appear puzzling.”