Patrick Leahy: “I am somewhat perplexed that we are in this situation. Let me explain why. This is not a question of whether people are…”

“I am somewhat perplexed that we are in this situation. Let me explain why. This is not a question of whether people are for or against those who abuse children. We are all against that, Republicans and Democrats. It is one of those many areas that would unite all of us. Those of us who are parents or grandparents always feel that way. I think of some of the child molesters I prosecuted before I was in the Senate. Invariably, I sought the stiffest sentences possible, and got them, including life sentences. So I do not think any of us has to demonstrate that we are against child molesters. I think the American people know that, of course, we are all against them. That is the way I was when I prosecuted them and the way I am in the legislation I have helped to write. For example, the AMBER alert bill that is before us: When I was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee last year, I put that through in record time. We had a hearing. We had a vote in committee. We brought it up for a roll call vote on the floor in about a week. It was a record. We sent it over to the other body. Of course, they sat on it and never passed it. This year, I joined with Senator Hutchison of Texas, Senator Feinstein of California, and Senator Hatch of Utah. The four of us put through AMBER alert again, brought it up, had a rollcall vote on the Senate floor. Every single Senator who was here that day voted for it. We sent it over to the other body, where it languished.”