Crime
More on Crime
July 6, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling by officers of the Baton Rouge, Louisiana Police Department:
“The recent police shooting of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is deeply troubling and is another sad reminder of the need for stronger oversight of law enforcement practices. The video of this tragic incident raises serious concerns about the tactics used by law enforcement and highlights the need for improved evidence-based police training.
Issues:Civil Rights
June 23, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a historic move to demand legislative action from Congress, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) joined House Democrats’ 26-hour sit-in on the House Floor to protest Speaker Ryan and House Republicans’ refusal to allow a vote on bipartisan legislation to address gun violence. Last night during the sit-in, House Republicans abruptly adjourned the House of Representatives until July 5th without bringing gun violence prevention legislation to the Floor for a vote.
“House Republicans cut and run in the middle of the night, brazenly denying the American people a vote on bipartisan gun violence prevention legislation that can help save American lives,” said Rep. Scott. “But even as Republicans tried to shut down the Floor and shut out our voices, this unprecedented sit-in led by Congressman John Lewis sent a clear message to the American people – it’s not going to be business as usual in the House of Representatives anymore. There are several bipartisan proposals currently pending that the House could take up immediately. It is time for House Republicans to do their job and call a vote on these measures.”
Issues:Gun Safety
June 22, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the wake of the horrific act of hate and terror in Orlando last week, the deadliest mass shooting in American history, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), a vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus’ Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, today joined House Democrats’ sit-in on the House Floor to demand that Speaker Ryan and House Republicans allow a vote on bipartisan legislation to address gun violence.
“I was proud to join my colleague and civil rights leader John Lewis today as he led an unprecedented sit-in on the House Floor to demand a vote on gun violence prevention legislation,” stated Rep. Scott. “Our message is clear – it’s not going to be business as usual in the House of Representatives. We’re committed to continue this effort until the People’s House does its job. And we know what we need to do. There are several bipartisan proposals currently pending that the House could take up immediately. It is time for House Republicans to do their job and call a vote on these measures.”
Issues:Gun Safety
June 9, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch requesting an update on the implementation of the Death in Custody Reporting Act, which requires states and federal law enforcement agencies to report to the Department of Justice information regarding the death of any person in the process of arrest or who is otherwise in law enforcement custody, including jails, prisons and juvenile facilities. Congressman Scott sponsored the legislation in 2013 and it was signed into law by the President on December 18, 2014.
Issues:Civil Rights
May 16, 2016
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. I appreciate the gentleman from New York and certainly the gentlewoman from Ohio for organizing this Special Order to discuss the need for criminal justice reform.
Mr. Speaker, we have serious, fundamental problems with our criminal justice system today. For too long, policymakers have chosen to play politics with crime policy by enacting so-called tough on crime slogans and sound bites, such as three strikes and you are out, mandatory minimum sentences, and--if you get it to rhyme, apparently, it is better--if you do the adult crime, you do the adult time. As appealing as these policies sound, their impacts range from a negligible reduction in crime to actually increasing the crime rate.
May 16, 2016
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 3832, the Stolen Identity Refund Fraud Prevention Act of 2016, as amended. While I support the legislation's underlying goal of deterring and preventing tax-related identity theft and tax fraud, I strongly oppose the bill's expansion of mandatory minimum sentencing.
Section 5 of the bill would expand the mandatory minimums found in Title 18 Section 1028A of the United States Code. This section of Title 18 imposes a mandatory minimum sentence of two years for ``aggravated identity theft.'' Under section 5 of this bill, a violation of section 7206(b) of the Internal Revenue Code would require a judge to impose a two year mandatory minimum regardless of the circumstances of the case.
May 10, 2016
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to S. 32, the Transnational Drug Trafficking Act of 2015. While I support the underlying goal of combating drug trafficking, existing federal criminal laws already prohibit and punish this conduct. This bill however weakens existing mens rea standards, and therefore could lead to the application of mandatory minimums to action which the defendant did not know was illegal.
This bill therefore is a perfect example of four of the most common problems in crime policy.
February 9, 2016
By Leon Neyfakh, Slate
After months of hype about the historic bipartisan consensus that we must make the American criminal justice system less harsh, President Obama finally signed a justice reform bill into law Monday. There’s only one problem: Instead of making the justice system more fair and less punitive, the new law will make it more vindictive and petty. Specifically, it will require people who have been convicted of sex crimes against minors to carry special passports in which their status as registered sex offenders will be marked with conspicuous identifying marks.
The point of International Megan’s Law,in the words of its House sponsor Chris Smith of New Jersey, is to prevent “sex tourism” by making it harder for people to “hop on planes and go to places for a week or two and abuse little children.” In addition to the passport stamp, this goal is supposed to be achieved through the formation of a new federal unit inside of Immigration and Customs Enforcement called the “Angel Watch Center,” which will inform foreign governments when American sex offenders have made plans to visit their countries.
Issues:Civil Rights
February 1, 2016
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 515, International Megan's Law. While I support the underlying goal of ensuring that American law enforcement agencies share information on potential child sex offenders with foreign law enforcement agencies, I am opposed to how one particular provision, added in the Senate amendment before us today, would work in practice.
Issues:Civil RightsForeign Affairs
January 11, 2016
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New York and the gentlewoman from Ohio for organizing tonight's Special Order to focus on the toll that gun violence has taken on communities across America and, especially, the disproportionate impact it has had within communities of color.
Tonight's conversation comes at an important time. On average, every day more than 30 people are killed by firearms, many in mass murders.
Issues:Gun Safety