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[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 358 Introduced in House (IH)]

105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 358

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to 
        the protection of reproductive health services clinics.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 11, 1998

Mrs. Lowey (for herself, Ms. Pelosi, Ms. Brown of Florida, Ms. Sanchez, 
 Mrs. Morella, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Boucher, Ms. Norton, Ms. DeGette, Mr. 
 DeFazio, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Adam Smith of Washington, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. 
Waxman, Mr. McDermott, Mrs. Maloney of New York, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Brown 
 of California, Mr. Hilliard, Mr. Baldacci, Mr. Gejdenson, Mr. Farr of 
   California, Mr. Barrett of Wisconsin, Mr. Ford, Mr. Thompson, Mr. 
  Doggett, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. Schumer, Mr. 
  Ackerman, Mr. Allen, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. 
 Moran of Virginia, Mr. Meehan, Mr. Delahunt, Mr. Pastor, Mr. Deutsch, 
Ms. Kilpatrick, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Green, Mr. Price of North Carolina, Mr. 
 Clay, Ms. Furse, Mr. Stark, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Lofgren, and Mrs. Kelly) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                            on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to 
        the protection of reproductive health services clinics.

Whereas there are approximately 1,000 reproductive health services clinics in 
        the United States;
Whereas violence directed at persons seeking to provide reproductive health 
        services continues to increase in the United States, as demonstrated by 
        the January 29, 1998, bombing outside a reproductive health services 
        clinic in Birmingham, Alabama, in which 1 person was killed and 1 person 
        was critically injured;
Whereas the death that occurred at the Birmingham clinic was the first bombing 
        fatality at a reproductive health services clinic in the history of the 
        United States;
Whereas organizations monitoring clinic violence have reported over 1,800 acts 
        of violence at reproductive health services clinics, including bombings, 
        shootings, arson, death threats, kidnapping, and assaults;
Whereas in 1997, reproductive health services clinics reported an increase in 
        the number of acts of violence over 1996;
Whereas in January 1997, reproductive health services clinics in Atlanta, 
        Georgia, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, were bombed, resulting in several 
        injuries;
Whereas in December 1994, 2 workers at a reproductive health services clinic 
        were murdered and 5 others injured in an assault in Brookline, 
        Massachusetts;
Whereas in July 1994, an abortion provider and his security escort were murdered 
        in Pensacola, Florida;
Whereas in March 1993, a doctor providing abortion services was shot and killed 
        in Pensacola, Florida;
Whereas 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, 
        and for intentionally damaging or destroying, or attempting to damage or 
        destroy, the property of a clinic because the clinic provides 
        reproductive health services;
Whereas violence is not a mode of free speech, is not entitled to constitutional 
        protection, and should not be condoned as a method of expressing an 
        opinion; and
Whereas the President has instructed the Attorney General to order--
            (1) the United States Attorneys to create task forces of Federal, 
        State, and local law enforcement officials to develop plans to address 
        security for reproductive health services clinics located within their 
        jurisdictions; and
            (2) the United States Marshals Service to ensure coordination 
        between reproductive health services clinics and Federal, State, and 
        local law enforcement officials regarding potential threats of violence: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,

SECTION 1. SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

    It is the sense of the House of Representatives that--
            (1) the Attorney General should fully enforce the law and 
        protect from violent attack persons seeking to provide or 
        obtain, or assist in providing or obtaining, reproductive 
        health services; and
            (2) Congress should provide to the Attorney General the 
        resources needed to accomplish the mission of the Department of 
        Justice, including the protection of reproductive health 
        services clinics.

SEC. 2. EXPRESSIVE CONDUCT.

    Nothing in this resolution shall be construed to prohibit any 
expressive conduct (including peaceful picketing or other peaceful 
demonstration) protected from legal prohibition by the first amendment 
to the Constitution of the United States.
                                 <all>
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