H3762 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 13, 2008 it is in the suburban neighborhood that So we have to say enough is enough. cared out and finally adopted by my I live in in Washington State. We have a crisis on our hands. Gangs, family has increased their capacity to Gangs threaten the freedom and se- drugs, sexual predators, Internet sex- now nearly 45 babies that they can hold curity of our communities in many ual predators, gangs on the rise, orga- within that facility. And it’s not ways. They are directly linked to the nized gangs, 850,000 gang members. enough. They need more space. narcotics trade, human trafficking, ID Congress needs to stop talking about So I would ask the majority, please theft, assault, murder and a host of these issues and needs to act. We need consider the other 103 bills. Let’s bring other crimes. There were over 631 gang- to act today. And during this Congress, the Gang Elimination Act to the floor. related homicides in the United States the majority has been silent on this Let’s bring these other 103 bills to the in 2001. Gangs readily employ violence issue. And as I said, I understand as a floor. Let’s act on these today. Let’s to control and expand their drug trade. sheriff, as a police officer in a uniform help the police officers out there in our Now I have personal experience too, driving a police car, and as a detective, country that need our help today. Let’s of course, with that but more on a per- I needed the tools then to do my job. I not wait another minute. I demand sonal level rather than a professional know there was a fight in the battle in that we have action here in Congress in level as a police officer. I want to talk the budget arena at the county council helping our police officers. about the impact of drugs on children level, at the State level and at the Fed- Madam Speaker, I yield back the bal- and families. I am the proud grand- eral level to find us the tools that we ance of my time. father of six grandchildren. Two of my needed. But every day we went out and grandchildren are adopted. They were f we did our job with the tools that we foster grandchildren, foster children of THE PRICE OF GASOLINE had. my daughter and her husband, who One of the things I wanted to point The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under were drug-addicted babies. They came out today is that we have, as Repub- the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- into my daughter’s home and her hus- uary 18, 2007, the gentleman from Iowa 1 licans, presented over 103 pieces of leg- band’s home when they were about 2 ⁄2 islation to help police officers get the (Mr. KING) is recognized for 60 minutes. months old. Little Briar is 6 years old job done. I have to tell you that as a Mr. KING of Iowa. Madam Speaker, and doing fine. He was 21⁄2 pounds when cop, because I still see myself as a cop it is an honor to be recognized to ad- he was born, a little meth-addicted trying to be a legislator, trying to find dress you here on the floor of the baby. Little Emma is 5 years old. She the way to stop the craziness and the United States House of Representa- was a crack cocaine, heroin, meth and violence in this country, where are the tives. And of all the issues that are be- alcohol-addicted baby. fore this country today, tonight, yes- Think about that for a minute. Drug- people of the United States who need to push their representative, who need terday, last week, last month and to- addicted babies. Gang members who morrow, energy is the number one are promoting drugs and selling drugs to call their representative, who need to e-mail their representative, who issue that is on the minds of the Amer- to young teenage girls on our streets ican people. who then become pregnant and give need to be pounding on the front door and demanding that we do something And as the American people pull into birth to drug-addicted babies. the gas pump and pay $3.60 or $3.70 for I hope that everyone watching under- about gang violence in this country, a gallon of gasoline, and if they are stands the impact of what I just said. that we do something about stopping buying diesel fuel for their truck or Do you know what happens when a the recruitment of our grade school maybe for their diesel automobile, meth baby is born? Have you ever kids and junior high school kids into they are up there at $4.17 and $4.20 a thought about the pain they go gangs? gallon, and that inflation of the fuel through? When they are born, they Of the only six bills that we have out cost is on the minds of all Americans. have no idea they are hungry. In fact, of the 103 that the Democrats have And it costs us all in a number of dif- they don’t know how to eat. They don’t agreed to accept, and they have actu- know how to suck on a bottle. The poi- ally passed, three of those are resolu- ferent ways. I have a group of constituents, and a son from the meth escapes through tions. While we support resolutions and lot of them use something like a gal- their bottom. So they put the babies on the statements that they make in sup- lon, gallon and a half of gas to go to their belly in a fetal position with a port of police officers, in support of warming light over the top of them. stopping crime and protecting our citi- work every day. We don’t all live in a The poison, as I said, escapes through zens, we need real action. compressed place in the inner city like their bottom. But you can’t put any To address the gang epidemic in our millions of Americans do. Some of us ointment on them because it holds the suburban communities, I have intro- live 25, 30 or 40 miles from our work. poison against the skin. You can’t use duced legislation, H.R. 367, the Gang Even if we get a car that gets 20 or 25 baby powder. It does the same thing. It Elimination Act, that would identify miles to the gallon, we might still creates more pain. and target the three international drive, if it’s 25 miles to the gallon, 25 So what do you do with a meth-ad- gangs that present the greatest threat miles. That’s a gallon of gas to get to dicted baby? You let the baby suffer for to the United States and create a gang work. And it’s a gallon of gas to get 2 or 3 weeks and let the drug escape most-wanted list and develop a na- home. And that gallon of gas at $3.60 through the bottom while the baby tional strategy to eliminate the gang adds up over the week, an extra gallon feels intense burning and pain during epidemic plaguing our neighborhood. going to work, and an extra gallon that period of time. Briar went through This bill has not seen the light of day. coming from work. And if you do that that. Emma, as a crack cocaine, heroin I even testified in front of the com- Monday through Friday and sometimes and meth-addicted baby had additional mittee. That bill has not even seen the for half a day on Saturday, that means issues to deal with. Today these chil- light of day. that over the week, let’s just say that dren are in a good home. They have a Why not? Is it because it is a Repub- gas is up $1.50 a gallon from where it chance at a good life and to be produc- lican bill? Is it because the majority was not that long ago, that’s $1.50 tive citizens in this country. doesn’t support the job that police offi- extra going to work and $1.50 extra But ladies and gentlemen, those are cers are out there trying to do every coming home from work. That’s $3 a the kids that we need to protect. Those day? Why are we not providing the day, $20 a week, perhaps $18 to $20 a are the kids that our police officers are tools that our cops need? I ask that week, and that’s $80 or more a month. out there every day trying to prevent question every day when I come to That $80 more a month is a significant them from becoming drug-addicted ba- work in this body. amount out of the paycheck of the bies, trying to prevent those young Crime is on the increase. Violent American people, Madam Speaker. girls that we see out there from becom- crime is on the increase. Gang activity We can deal with that, Madam ing mothers of drug-addicted babies, is on the increase. Drug addiction is on Speaker, if we adjust. We can make trying to prevent those young men out the increase. More drug-addicted ba- these adjustments as we go. We can there from becoming fathers of drug- bies are being born.