Comments Of Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.),
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee,

On S. 3297, The Advancing America’s Priorities Act

Press Conference, Capitol Hill

July 23, 2008

 

Today we talk about pieces of legislation with broad bipartisan support that have moved through the Judiciary Committee and that have passed the House of Representatives, but that have been stalled on the Senate floor by Republican objection.  Some of these bills have been incorporated by the Majority leader into the “Advancing America’s Priorities Act,” which combines 35 bills that span across seven Senate Committees into one bill.  

 

People are rightly worried about keeping their communities safe and protecting their children.  The Judiciary Committee has worked throughout this Congress to advance the priorities of Americans.  Many of these important efforts have been obstructed by Republican objections. My statement to the Senate yesterday discussed this obstruction in detail.

 

One key bill included in this package is the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act.  I thank Senator Dodd and Congressman Lewis for their tireless work on this bill.  It is an honor to be here with Simeon Wright, Emmett Till’s cousin.  I thank Mr. Wright, for his courage and his commitment to fighting for justice for so many years.  The primary purpose of the Till bill is to track down those whose violent acts during a period of national turmoil remain unpunished. 

 

By passing this legislation, we honor Emmett Till and all those who sacrificed their lives advancing civil rights.  It is disgraceful that it has taken us so long to take this basic step to pursue justice too long delayed.  It is incredible that some continue to obstruct these efforts.

 

Another important piece of legislation in this bill is the reauthorization of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act.  Many Vermonters have told me how much that Act is needed to help young people in Vermont and around the country.  When the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on this issue in April, we heard from Mark Redmond and Michael Hutchins of Spectrum Youth and Family Services in Burlington, Vermont.  They told us how much that Act is needed to help young people in Vermont and around the country.  Mr. Hutchins had been homeless himself as a young person and saw first hand how the programs the Act funds can help children turn their lives around and give back to their communities.  I also held a hearing in Rutland, Vermont, this winter on crime in small cities and towns, which emphasized the need for programs to help young people in difficult circumstances. 

 

The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act reauthorization will double the funding states like Vermont are guaranteed to receive for programs to benefit runaway and homeless young people.  This bill will help our young people, and we should pass it right away.  The House bill passed in June. 

 

In addition, the eight Judiciary Committee-related bills include several concerning child pornography, child exploitation, and drugs.  The Effective Child Pornography Prosecution Act passed the House 409-0 last November; the Enhancing the Effective Prosecution of Child Pornography provision passed the House 416-0 last November; the PROTECT Our Children Act passed the House 415-2 last November; the Drug Endangered Children Act passed the House last September 389-4.  All of these bills have been cleared by all Democratic Senators.

 

This is legislation that should have passed the Senate by consent. It is time for Congress to start working more effectively, and this bill is a step in that direction.  

 

 

Summary of Judiciary Committee Bills In
S. 3297, Advancing America’s Priorities Act

 

This bill, introduced on Monday, July 21, by the Majority Leader, includes 35 bills from seven Senate Committees that have been held up by a small number of Republican Senators.  The bill includes eight Judiciary Committee related items.

 

Emmet Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007 (S.535/H.R.923)

 

This Dodd-Leahy bill will strengthen the ability of the Federal Government to investigate and prosecute unsolved murders from the civil rights era.  It would create new cold case units in the Justice Department and FBI dedicated to investigating and prosecuting unsolved cases involving violations of criminal civil rights statutes which resulted in death and occurred before January 1, 1970.  The Senate legislation was introduced on February 8, 2007.  The Judiciary Committee reported S.535 by unanimous consent as amended by a substitute that mirrored the House companion bill on June 20, 2007.  The House legislation passed the House on June 20, 2007, with a vote of 422-2.  The bill should have passed the Senate by consent a year ago. Its Republican cosponsors include Senator Cochran, Senator Hatch, Senator Alexander and Senator Cornyn.

 

Runaway and Homeless Youth Protection Act (S.2982/H.R.5524)

 

This Leahy-Specter bill would reauthorize and improve the programs under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) through the year 2013.  You held a hearing in Rutland on youth crime problems and another on reauthorizing the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act in Washington in April.  The bipartisan bill was introduced and considered by the Judiciary Committee in May.  The House counterpart passed the House in June.  It should have passed the Senate by consent.

 

Effective Child Pornography Prosecution Act of 2007 (H.R.4120)

 

This bill would expand definitions used in the crimes of child sexual exploitation and child pornography to cover those offenses to the full extent of Congress’s commerce clause powers.  The bill passed the House 409-0 in November 2007 and has cleared the Democratic side in the Senate.  It should have been passed by consent.

 

Enhancing the Effective Prosecution of Child Pornography Act of 2007 (S.2869/H.R.4136)

 

This Vitter-Lincoln bill would amend the federal criminal code to: (1) include child pornography activities and the production of such pornography for importation into the United States as predicate crimes for money laundering prosecutions; and (2) define “possess” with respect to crimes of child sexual exploitation and child pornography to include accessing by computer visual depictions of child pornography with the intent to view.  The House companion bill passed the House 416-0 in November 2007 and has cleared the Democratic side in the Senate.  It should have been passed by consent.

 

PROTECT Our Children Act (S.1738/H.R.3845)

 

This Biden bill seeks to streamline the protection and investigation of child exploitation cases by establishing a Special Counsel for Child Exploitation Prevention within the Department of Justice, and would combine state, local, and federal insights into how best to address the growing problem of child exploitation on the internet through creation of an Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Its Republican cosponsors include Senators Stevens, Hatch, Hutchison and Murkowski. It was reported by the Judiciary Committee in June.  Its House counterpart passed the House 415-2 in November 2007.  It was reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee in June and has cleared the Democratic side in the Senate.  It should have been passed by consent.

 

Drug Endangered Children Act of 2007 (S.1210/H.R.1199)

 

This Feinstein-Grassley bill would authorize the Department of Justice to award grants designated to improve coordination among law enforcement, prosecutors, child protection services, social service agencies, and health care providers to help drug endangered children make the transition to safe residential environments.  It was introduced in April 2007 and reported by the Judiciary Committee in May 2008. Its House counterpart passed the House 389-4 in September 2007. It cleared the Democratic side in the Senate.  It should have passed the Senate by consent months ago.

 

Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and
Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act of 2008 (S.2304/H.R.3992)

 

This Domenici-Kennedy-Specter-Leahy bill provides assistance for state and local governments to establish mental health courts, which can divert qualified offenders to receive treatment, and to establish programs to provide specialized training for criminal justice and mental health system personnel.  This would help communities address the needs of the mentally ill in our justice system and help law enforcement officers recognize and respond to incidents involving mentally ill persons.  The bill was introduced on November 5, 2007, and reported by the Judiciary Committee in April 2008.  It should have passed the Senate by consent months ago.

 

 

Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission Act (S.1079/H.R.1389)

 

This Cardin-Warner bill creates a commission, made up in part by citizens from the District of Columbia and the states associated with the War of 1812, to ensure a suitable national observance of the War of 1812. It was reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee in May 2007.  Its House counterpart passed the House in September 2007. It has cleared the Democratic side in the Senate. It should have passed by consent.