Jim Sensenbrenner: “Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe what I just heard. We are told that we should not put a death penalty in this bill that…”

“Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe what I just heard. We are told that we should not put a death penalty in this bill that relates to implementing a convention against terrorist bombings where a death or serious injury occur because the French do not like it. Well, the last time I read the United States Constitution, the elected representatives of the American people legislate for America, not the elected representatives of the French people. This is an issue of our national sovereignty and whether or not we believe that the death penalty is an appropriate option for those who are accused of crimes under the convention designed to combat terrorist bombings. The overwhelming majority of the American people support the death penalty, particularly when it is with respect to a terrorist act. We should not let the parliament of any other country in the world make a determination on what the appropriate penalty is for those who are accused of these heinous crimes and are convicted by a unanimous verdict of 12 jurors who believe beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crimes that are mentioned. We already have provisions in the United States code providing for the death penalty for terrorist act that result in somebody's death. Without making this law parallel to the other penalties in the United States code, we are setting up a dual system of justice.”