Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation. It is a fair compromise. It deals with conflicting issues, and it looked at the data on who was indicted and who has been sentenced both by race as well as by the amount of cocaine that they possessed. Unlike some allegations, this bill does not let those who possess crack cocaine off easily. The sentencing disparity is 18-to-1. That means that someone who possesses crack cocaine only has to have one- eighteenth of the amount of someone who possesses powder cocaine. So I don't think that people who either deal in crack cocaine or who possess crack cocaine are getting off the hook by reducing the ratio from 100- to-1 to 18-to-1. The Sentencing Commission has been set up by this Congress to look at sentencing patterns and look at sentencing statistics. For the last 15 years, they have called for a change in the disparity and the minimum sentences between those who are indicted for violating the crack cocaine laws versus those who are indicted for violating the powder cocaine laws. This is a very fair compromise. I salute the three members of the other body who worked the compromise out. It is a compromise that should be endorsed by this body and sent to the President. I urge an ``aye'' vote.”