Appointment of Conferees on H.R. 4200, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005
APPOINTMENT OF CONFEREES ON H.R. 4200, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005 -- (House of Representatives - September 28, 2004)
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Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), the ranking member of the Committee on Armed Services.
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Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. CONYERS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, this is the only civil rights measure that we will be considering in this Congress, and it is the first civil rights measure, as distinguished from voter rights, that we have handled on this floor since 1968 when 18 U.S.C. 242 was amended.
Please, let us understand that we have witnessed a dramatic increase in hate-motivated violence. The definitions are very clear. To my friends who have wondered what a hate crime is, there are 8,000 hate crimes each year.
I want my colleagues to know that we have already approved of this. The House has voted on this measure. The Senate has voted on this measure. And now, we are doing the same thing again.
For all of my colleagues who want to know where law enforcement stands on this, please know that the Police Foundation endorses the measure. The National Sheriff's Association endorses this measure. The International Association of Chiefs of Police endorses the measure. The Police Executive Research Forum likewise. So we have law enforcement realizing that we need a comprehensive law banning hate crimes, and what this bill essentially does is modify the Federal nexus that is connected with it.
Please, let us understand that this is the only opportunity we will have to go on record to show that we want to assist States in prosecuting their hate crimes by re-endorsing and re-supporting this measure.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank), a senior member of the Committee on the Judiciary.
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Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield 2 ¼ minutes to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin), an excellent member of the Committee on the Judiciary.
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Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin), a former Secretary of State in his State.
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Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
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Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I just wonder if the gentleman is aware that many States have asked for this assistance; that this merely amends the Federal nexus that already exists; and that the civil rights organizations and more than half a dozen police and law enforcement organizations have all strongly supported the request and the Department of Justice has not taken the point of view that is brilliantly argued by my friend from Alabama?
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Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield 3 ½ minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the whip of the Democrats, who has been a strong civil rights advocate throughout his career, and who I have been pleased to work with.
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Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Tauscher), a civil rights leader from California.
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Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) who has worked with the civil rights community in her State and Nation since she has come to Congress.
Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) for yielding me this time.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?
Ms. WOOLSEY. I yield to the gentleman from Michigan.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King) that his position is a perfectly legitimate one, and for anyone to attack him as a racist on that regard I would take issue with. I want the gentleman to know that would not be the sentiments of anyone I know here in the Congress on this side of the aisle, and we apologize for any misunderstanding which may have resulted from that.
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Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the debate we have had here today. I close with a reminder from the International Association of Chiefs of Police in the United States: this is not a door-opener for State prosecutors to get rid of cases or get into the Federal jurisdiction. They can only bring these cases if the Department of Justice agrees that they can be brought. Without that, the Department of Justice wants to make sure that they need this help and in some cases will grant programs to the State and local law enforcement to cover the costs of investigating and prosecuting.
So this hate crimes law will greatly assist law enforcement officers in investigating hate crimes.
Mr. Speaker, 175 organizations, law enforcement, civil rights, Hispanic national law groups, the Presbyterian Church, the Episcopal Church, Anti-Defamation League, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the NAACP, National Council of La Raza, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium, Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force, Human Rights Campaign, the American Association of People With Disabilities, and the National Center For Victims of Crime pray that we will take action today.
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Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.