IV

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. RES. 239

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with regard to obscenity

and sexual objectification in the United States.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 1, 1999

Mr. GARY MILLER of California (for himself, Mr. PITTS, Mr. HUTCHINSON,

Mr. SCHAFFER, Mr. PICKERING, Mr. DELAY, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr.

GOODE, Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma, Mr. DEMINT, and Mr. ENGLISH) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on

the Judiciary

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with

regard to obscenity and sexual objectification in the

United States.

Whereas the health and safety and morals of the children of

the United States is a matter of compelling and surpassing importance;

Whereas the health and safety and morals of the children of

the United States is threatened by purveyors and panderers of pornography, violence, and philosophies which

treat the individual as a commodity to be bought and

sold;

Whereas the use of the human image as a vehicle to enhance

depraved fantasies has a real effect on changing the atti-
2

•HRES 239 IH

tudes, values, mores, and ethics of consumers of such

material; and

Whereas basic civil rights require that persons and their images not be used, sold, bartered, coerced, or defrauded

into illegal sexual activity: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that—

3 (1) although the first amendment to the United

4 States Constitution, as interpreted and construed by

5 the Supreme Court, makes clear that only narrow

6 limits on speech may be imposed, the people of the

7 United States should—

8 (A) review their own conduct;

9 (B) take all reasonable steps to use the

10 freedom of speech which has made and main11 tained this Nation in freedom to build up and

12 not destroy;

13 (C) advance public morality which is based

14 on respect for human dignity;

15 (D) restrain the growth of illegal sexual

16 speech and activity in all of its forms; and

17 (E) create an environment in which our

18 children will learn to do good and oppose evil.

19 (2) the President, the Congress, and the States

20 should review their laws, executive orders, and poli21 cies to determine and effectuate what may be done,
3

•HRES 239 IH

1 within the boundaries of the first amendment, to end

2 the use of individuals and their images as sexual ob3 jects or tools which undermine the dignity of all citi4 zens of the United States; and

5 (3) the President and the Attorney General

6 should—

7 (A) vigorously enforce Federal obscenity

8 laws to demonstrate the resolve of the United

9 States to uphold the dignity of the individual

10 from such degrading use; and

11 (B) aggressively pursue violations of laws

12 involving the interstate movement of individuals

13 for illegal sexual purposes, so that by leader14 ship, the United States might induce the many

15 members of the global community to end pros16 titution in all of its forms, which contributes to

17 the growth of organized crime, the creation and

18 use of illegal pornography, the spread of sexu19 ally transmitted diseases, and denial of basic

20 human rights to its victims.

Æ