The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“PROTECT ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Senate section on pages S5768-S5769 on May 6, 2003.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
PROTECT ACT
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, this child-abduction legislation is important and needed. According to the Justice Department, 2,200 children are reported missing each day. There are approximately 114,600 attempted abductions by strangers every year, and between 3,000 and 5,000 of these attempts are successful.
Each child abduction is a tragedy. Last year, I met with two of my constituents, John and Magi Bish. On June 27, 2000, their daughter Molly Ann Bish, a 16-year-old lifeguard, disappeared from her life-
guarding post at Comins Pond in Walden, MA. Molly's family and friends continue to search for her. The Bish family is also working to raise awareness about this important issue. They started the first Missing Children's Day in Massachusetts. They also established the Molly Bish Foundation to provide services to children and families across our State and the New England area. John and Magi Bish have shown extraordinary courage and perseverance in the face of an overwhelming loss.
The legislation addresses the problem of child abductions in several ways, and I supported it. It establishes a national AMBER Alert system to help locate abducted children, and it gives prosecutors major new tools to address these terrifying crimes.
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