IV
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 187
Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to recent church burnings.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 13, 1996
Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma (for himself, Mrs. CLAYTON, Mr. HYDE, Mr.
LAUGHLIN, Mr. WICKER, Mr. LARGENT, Mr. BONILLA, Mrs. MYRICK,
Mr. HALL of Texas, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mr. ENGLISH of Penn-
sylvania, Mr. HEINEMAN, Mr. NORWOOD, Mr. HUTCHINSON, Mr.
CONDIT, Mr. BAESLER, Mr. WAMP, Mr. FIELDS of Texas, Mr. SOUDER,
Mr. HILLEARY, Mr. ARCHER, Mr. TALENT, Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas,
Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. BONIOR, Mr. RICHARDSON, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. KING,
Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. WARD, Mr. FRAZER, Mr.
FORD, Mr. BROWDER, Mr. HILLIARD, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. OWENS, Mr.
HALL of Ohio, Mr. FIELDS of Louisiana, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. FROST, Mr.
HASTINGS of Florida, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. DELLUMS, Mr.
FRANKS of Connecticut, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. ABERCROM-
BIE, Mr. FARR of California, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Mr. GILCHREST,
Ms. NORTON, Ms. WOOLSEY, Ms. FURSE, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. PALLONE,
Mrs. THURMAN, Mrs. KENNELLY, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. CLAY, Ms. KAPTUR,
Mr. WATT of North Carolina, Mr. FOGLIETTA, Mr. THOMPSON, Mr. MIL-
LER of California, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Ms. PELOSI, Ms. ROYBAL-AL-
LARD, Mr. WYNN, Mr. EDWARDS, Mr. CLEMENT, Mrs. SCHROEDER, Miss
COLLINS of Michigan, Mr. RUSH, Mr. TORRICELLI, Mr. STOKES, Mr.
ROSE, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. HEFNER, Mrs. MEEK of Florida, Mr. FLAKE,
Ms. PRYCE, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. BISHOP, Mr. FATTAH, Ms. SLAUGHTER,
Ms. RIVERS, Mr. NADLER, Mr. FRANK
of Massachusetts, Ms.
VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. WATERS, Mrs. COLLINS of Illinois, Mr. STARK, Mr.
BARRETT of Wisconsin, Mr. SANFORD, Mr. ARMEY, Mr. ZELIFF, Mr.
BAKER of California, Mr. STOCKMAN, Mr. PAXON, Mr. SHADEGG, Mr.
ENSIGN, Mr. COBURN, Mr. TIAHRT, Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina, and
Mr. ROEMER) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
•HCON 187 ATH
JUNE 13, 1996
The Committee on the Judiciary discharged; considered and agreed to
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to recent
church burnings.
Whereas more than 30 African-American churches have been
burned over the last 18 months;
Whereas arrests have been made in only 5 of the cases cur-
rently under investigation;
Whereas the African-American community deserves the full
support of Congress in solving these cases in an expedi-
tious manner and it is important for Congress to speak
out against the recent incidents of arson; and
Whereas several measures which would expedite the investiga-
tion into these incidents and assist in the prosecution of
individuals found guilty of involvement in these incidents
are now pending before Congress: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that—
(1) attacks on places of worship because of the
race, color, denomination, or ethnicity of the con-
gregation undermine fundamental American ideals;
(2) these fires appear to be hate crimes and
also implicitly interfere with the First Amendment
rights and other civil rights of the victims;
(3) the arson of a place of worship is repulsive
to us as a society;
•HCON 187 ATH
(4) the Congress condemns, in the strongest
possible terms, these abhorrent actions against freely
worshipping American citizens and the African-
American community in particular;
(5) the Congress sends its sincere condolences
to those individuals who have been affected by these
acts of cowardice;
(6) the Congress fully supports the activities of
local law enforcement officials, the Department of
Justice, and the Department of the Treasury in in-
vestigating these incidents;
(7) the Congress urges the United States Attor-
ney General and local prosecutors to seek the maxi-
mum penalty available under law to punish the per-
petrators of these craven acts;
(8) it is important that Congress enact appro-
priate legislation to ensure that Federal law enforce-
ment has the necessary tools to punish and deter
these shameful, vile acts, including the bipartisan
legislation introduced by Representatives Hyde and
Conyers which would facilitate the prosecution of
persons responsible for these acts;
(9) the President is urged to make the fullest
possible use of all available law enforcement re-
•HCON 187 ATH
sources to bring the culprits in these crimes to jus-
tice;
(10) Congress encourages the people of the
United States to work within their own communities
to prevent arson against African-American or any
other house of worship; and
(11) Congress encourages American citizens to
observe a national week of prayer beginning June
16, 1996, and ending June 23, 1996, in their
churches, synagogues, mosques and other places of
worship for racial harmony, religious tolerance and
respect for the civil and human rights of all Ameri-
cans.
Æ