IV
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 Wash-
ington, 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 re-
productive health services continues to increase in the
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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 re-
ported 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 Free-
dom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act of 1994, a law es-
tablishing Federal criminal penalties and civil remedies
for certain violent, threatening, obstructive, and destruc-
tive conduct that is intended to injure, intimidate, or
interfere with persons seeking to obtain or provide repro-
ductive health services, and for intentionally damaging or
destroying, or attempting to damage or destroy, the prop-
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erty 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 offi-
cials to develop plans to address security for reproduc-
tive health services clinics located within their jurisdic-
tions; 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 mis-