Date: 1996-09-25
Speaker: BILL MCCOLLUM (republican)
Chamber: H

for the outstanding job he does as chairman of that subcommittee and particularly for his support dealing with this heinous crime of date rape. I would also like to commend my colleague. the gentlewoman from New York. Ms. SUSAN MOLINARI. for her recognition of this problem and her cosponsorship of the bill to punish people who use this drug to commit rapes. Also. I would like to thank the gentleman from Georgia. Mr. Bon BARR. for his support and the gentleman from North Carolina. Mr. FRED HEINEMAN. a young marine. 45 years ago. that went through boot camp with me. for his assistance with this bill in the committee. Unfortunately. Mr. HEINEMAN is ill and recovering from surgery and could not be here to lend his support tonight. Mr. Speaker. the use of any illegal drug as a tool to commit sexual battery and rape is as loathsome as using a weapon. It seems to me that this kind of manipulative drug use is just as dangerous and just as loathsome as holding a knife to someones throat and should be dealt with accordingly. That is what we are attempting to do with this legislation.. In response to the growing use of date rape drugs and the use of other drugs in violent sex crimes against women and children. the bill before us today increases the penalties for anyone who possesses a drug with the intent to commit a crime of violence. including sexual battery. That is what this is all about. Our bill increases the maximum penalty to 15 years in prison for using any controlled substance to commit a crime of violence. and greater penalties are imposed on someone who is sick enough to use the drug to rape a vicitm 14 years of age and younger. This legislation marks the first time. the very first time. the use of a controlled substance will be viewed as a weapon anywhere in the United States. That is the importance of this legislation. The stiffer sentences in this bill focus on the criminal intent of the individual possessing that drug. Mr. Speaker. it is important to point out that illegal drugs have been at th6 very root of the social ills facing our society today. Consider this fact. Mr. Speaker: Approximately 75 percent of all of the violent crimes in America today against women and children are drug related. 75 percent. In other words. in three out of four violent crimes against women and children. some irresponsible adult or juvenile is getting high on drugs and then committing a despicable act against a helpless woman or child. That is bad enough. But this bill focuses on even more sinister problems. another kind of lowlife who uses drugs as a weapon against unsuspecting. helpless women or young girls. someone who fully intends to commit an act of sexual battery against another with the help of a controlled substance. Mr. Speaker. there are literally dozens of drugs. especially sedative. hypnotic drugs. that could be combined with alcohol and used to commit such a crime. Our bill Js not limited to punishing one particular drug. There is no single date rape drug. Earlier this year we heard the reports of how the drug. Rohypnol. known on the streets as roofies. was being slipped into the drinks of unsuspecting women with the intent to induce extensive blackout periods and make them susceptible to sexual crimes without them even knowing it. The use of this drug continues to be a real concern for law enforcement. for drug counselors. for teachers and parents. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Rohypnol has merged as a significant abuse and trafficking problem in the United States. Between 1985 and 1991. the DEA experienced three cases or less each year involving this drug. only three cases back during the years 1985 to 1991. By 1993. that number climbed to 15. primarily. as the chairman of the subcommittee. Mr. BILL McCoLLuM. said before. in Texas and Florida. And by 1995. the DEA had 38 Rohypnol investigations. This year. the DEA has initiated 108 cases and the U.S. Customs Service has 271 cases. So you can see the progression that is taking place now. Given this disturbing trend. our bill increases the penalties for possessing drugs like Rohypol to levels comparable to cocaine. heroin. and LSD. The bill also requires the DEA to study whether Rohypnol should be moved to schedule 1 and to submit a report to Congress with its recommendations within 6 months. Regardless of the end result on the side issue of rescheduling. the public at large will be protected now with stiffer penalties imposed for possession of roofies. Mr. Speaker. any drug like Rohypol that is odorless. colorless. tasteless. which renders someone defenseless. potentially could be the next date rape drug. For instance. I have an article which appeared in the September 11 issue of the San Francisco Chronicle. This article describes how a young 17yearold girl died after someone slipped a drug called gamma yhydroxybutyrate into her drink. That particular drug is not even a controlled substance. it is an allowed drug in this country. Yet that drug is an odorless and almost tasteless drug that was slipped into an unsuspecting victims drink. and. in this sad case. she did not even survive. This is exactly why we must have an approach that is broader that just one drug. This is why we must be careful not to fool ourselves by branding a particular the date rape drug. We need to go after all of them. The bill before us today is a common sense. tough response by this Congress to protect the safety and sanctity of young women and children. It sends a very powerful message to any sex offender. anywhere. and any other violent criminal. for that matter. that you will get the book thrown at you for using these kinds of drugs in committing a crime of rape. So on behalf of Congressman FRED .HEEMAN. the major cosponsor of this bill. and Chairman BILL McCoLLUm. I ask Members to vote yes on this vital legislation that will stop this heinous crime of date rape. I really do appreciate the support of BOB BARR. who now has taken over management of this bill. for his strong support for the bill.