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“SENATE RESOLUTION 31--RELATIVE TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Senate section on pages S564-S565 on Jan. 6, 1995.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SENATE RESOLUTION 31--RELATIVE TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Feingold, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Simon, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Levin, Mr. Lieberman, Ms. Moseley-Braun, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Pell, Mr. Chafee, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Inouye, and Mr. Bradley) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:
S. Res. 31
Whereas there are approximately 900 clinics in the United States providing reproductive health services;
Whereas violence directed at persons seeking to provide reproductive health services continues to increase in the United States, as demonstrated by the recent shootings at two reproductive health clinics in Massachusetts and another health care clinic in Virginia;
Whereas organizations monitoring clinic violence have recorded over 130 incidents of violence or harassment directed at reproductive health care clinics and their personnel in 1994 such as death threats, stalking, chemical attacks, bombings and arson;
Whereas there has been one attempted murder in Florida and four individuals killed at reproductive health care clinics in Florida and Massachusetts in 1994;
Whereas the Congress passed and the President signed the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act of 1994, a law establishing Federal criminal penalties and civil remedies for certain violent, threatening, obstructive and destructive conduct that is intended to injure, intimidate or interfere with persons seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services;
Whereas violence is not a mode of free speech and should not be condoned as a method of expressing an opinion;
Whereas persons exercising their constitutional rights and acting completely within the law are entitled to full protection from the Federal Government;
Whereas the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act of 1994 imposes a mandate on the Federal Government to protect individuals seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services; and
Whereas the Attorney General has at her disposal law enforcement personnel including 10,000 FBI agents and over 2,000 members of the United States Marshals Service: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the United States Attorney General should fully enforce the law and take any further necessary measures to protect persons seeking to provide or obtain, or assist in providing or obtaining, reproductive health services from violent attack.
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am submitting a resolution that calls on the Attorney General to do everything she can to protect reproductive health care clinics, given the violence that we have seen throughout America. I think that all of my colleagues share that view this violence is deplorable. This is a bipartisan resolution that I am submitting today. It includes Republicans and Democrats.
I hope the Attorney General will follow the advice of the resolution, and I hope she will also listen to the advice of the President, who says please let us
[[Page S565]] do something about protecting these clinics.
Mr. President, today I am submitting legislation calling on the Attorney General to take all necessary measures to protect reproductive health care clinics and their staff from violent attack.
I know that many of my colleagues are as shocked as I am about the ongoing terror and violence directed at our Nation's family planning clinics. That is why I am pleased that my legislation has bipartisan support.
In 1994 there were over 130 incidents nationwide of violence or harassment directed at clinics and the people who work there. They include 50 reports of death threats to doctors and other clinic workers, 40 incidents of vandalism, 16 incidents of stalking, 4 acts of arson and 3 attempted bombings.
Tragically, since the murder of Dr. David Gunn in March, 1993 outside of the Pensacola Women's Health Clinic there have been four additional slayings at clinics.
In July, 1994 Dr. John Britton and his escort Jim Barret were shot to death at The Ladies' Center in Pensacola, FL. Mr. Barret's wife was injured.
On December 30, Shannon Lowney and Leanne Nichols were shot and killed while working at reproductive health care clincs in Massachusetts. Five others were wounded. A day later the gunman fired shots at another clinic in Virginia.
The resolution I am submitting today urges the Attorney General to use all of the tools at her disposal to stop this escalating violence, including the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act which we passed last year, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service.
I urge my colleagues to join me in working to protect our Nation's reproductive health care clinics from violent attack.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, the murderous assaults at two clinics in Brookline, Massachusetts last week were despicable acts of terrorism. This kind of vicious, hateful assault against women and health care providers cannot be tolerated in any community in America.
Two women who worked at the Brookline clinics, Shannon Lowney and Lee Ann Nichols, had their lives brutally cut short. Five other people were seriously wounded, and four of them are still hospitalized. My heart goes out to these victims and their families.
No effort can be spared to make sure that these crimes are not repeated anywhere else. Women must be able to seek reproductive health care without fear of violent assault. Doctors should be able to practice their profession without wearing bullet-proof vests. Clinic staff should be able to go to work each day in safety.
Abortion is a constitutionally protected right, and it must be safe and accessible. Many of the clinics targeted by violence and obstruction provide a wide range of health care services for women, including family planning and prenatal care. We cannot allow access to these important services to be reduced or blocked.
Last year, we passed and President Clinton signed the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. That law gives the Attorney General the tools she needs to prevent violence and obstruction and to punish such acts whenever and wherever they occur with the full force of Federal law. The Justice Department has already brought several enforcement actions under this law, and it is actively investigating other possible violations. In addition, the Attorney General has made U.S. Marshals available to protect clinics.
Some have suggested that the new Federal law is somehow responsible for fomenting violence at abortion clinics, because it allegedly closes off peaceful picketing as an outlet for those with strongly held views against abortion. Any such suggestion is nonsense.
The clinic access law does not prohibit or punish peaceful picketing or any other expression protected by the first amendment. On the contrary, it expressly allows it. What the act prohibits is violent, threatening, obstructive, or destructive conduct--none of which has ever been protected by the Constitution. For that reason, every one of the Federal courts that have been asked to review the law since President Clinton signed it last year has upheld it.
Tough laws against clinic blockades and clinic violence are not the problem. They are the solution.
I commend President Clinton and Attorney General Reno for their vigorous enforcement of the new Federal law, and for their commitment to work with local law enforcement authorities to protect the clinics throughout the country. They are doing everything in their power to guarantee public safety and deter the use of violent tactics aimed at patients and providers.
I am proud to join in sponsoring this legislation. The Senate must go on record unequivocally to denounce the violence, and to express our solid support for vigorous enforcement and implementation of the Federal clinic protection law. I hope that every Member of the Senate will join in supporting this important measure.
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