U. S. Troops Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act, 2007

Floor Speech

U.S. TROOP READINESS, VETERANS' HEALTH, AND IRAQ ACCOUNTABILITY ACT, 2007 -- (Senate - March 28, 2007)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

AMENDMENTS NOS. 752 AND 753

Mr. ENSIGN. Madam President, I appreciate the Senator allowing me to speak. There is an amendment being negotiated and, hopefully, we will be able to have a vote on what I believe is a very important amendment.

In this emergency bill there are some things that some might consider an emergency, and there are others that I would not classify as an emergency. But there are things in the country that truly are an emergency. My amendment attempts to address one of the most pressing issues happening in our country today.

My amendment provides additional funding for the Adam Walsh Act that we passed last year. As each Senator knows, the Adam Walsh bill provides law enforcement with the tools to go after child predators. It also gives parents the tools they need to protect their own children. My amendment provides funding for the Adam Walsh bill. Simply, my amendment provides $12.5 million in funding for U.S. Marshals to track down the estimated 100,000 convicted sex offenders who have failed to register as a sex offender. It provides $12.5 million in funding for the U.S. Attorneys Offices to prosecute child pornographers and people who exploit children.

This amendment does not include any new spending. This amendment is offset by eliminating the $25 million in funding in this bill for the Department of State's Educational and Culturing Exchange Program. While that might be a worthy program, certainly I do not believe it compares to the priority of locking up sexual predators and protecting the children of the United States. Earlier this year, just less than 2 months ago, we provided over $445 million for this same exchange program.

There are many true emergencies, but this Congress is required to make difficult decisions. We were elected to make sure that we spend money on what is most important. For a parent, protecting their child from harm is one of their top priorities. It certainly is for myself and my wife. Protecting children from an online predator has to be absolutely one of our nation's top priorities. That is why I believe my amendment is necessary.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, we know there are about 100,000 unregistered sex offenders in the United States.

The dangers these predators present to our children are very serious. Last year, I chaired a subcommittee hearing at the Commerce Committee about this very issue. What we discovered--what the testimony revealed was shocking. The average sexual predator who targets females will molest, on average, 130 young girls over the predator's lifetime. Let me say that again, on average one predator will victimize 130 young girls.

If the predator targets males, the predator will molest 180 young boys. I know that these statics sound so unbelievable that they could not possible be true, but sadly they are. That is why the dangers these predators present to our children is very real.

Giving law enforcement the tools to track down unregistered sex offenders, to give prosecutors the tools to prosecute people who exploit these children is critical.

I have heard from law enforcement agencies in my home State, that the Adam Walsh bill is making a real difference in our neighborhoods and communities.

Our children are safer for it. We need to continue to do everything in our power to eradicate child predators in our communities or as parents we won't be able to have a moment of peace. Too many families and children have been victimized by these predators who leave wounds that do not heal. That is why we must commit the resources necessary to protect our children. That is why I believe that funding the Adam Walsh bill is so important. I urge my colleagues to adopt this important amendment.

Now, I am sure that cultural exchange is important, but can we compare cultural exchange programs to the importance of protecting the American children? Madam President, I think not. I would urge my colleagues to adopt this amendment unanimously.

I yield the floor.

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