Voices

Quotes, before and after, on the House’s blocking of a vote on the crime bill:

“Today’s vote is a vote against . . . those people in law enforcement who stand out day in and day out and try to make our streets safer.”

--President Clinton

“There’s funding in this bill sufficient to hire two new social workers for every cop on the beat.”

--Rep. Gerald Solomon (R-N.Y.)

“Let us not be a helpless giant in response to the demands and the concerns of our people. ... The society that cannot protect the physical security of their citizens is a pretty useless society, whatever else it can accomplish.”

--House Speaker Thomas Foley (D-Wash.)

“With the pork barrel spending in this bill, we could put 360,000 more criminals behind bars.”

--Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.)

” There are too many election-year goodies, trinkets and gift-wrapped spending programs piled on it. It now looks like Santa Claus wearing a sheriff’s badge.”

--House GOP Leader Bob Michel (R-Ill.)

“There is something wrong when a crime bill takes six years to work its way through the Congres s and the average criminal serves only four years.”

--Hillary Clinton, in speech to police women’s group

“This bill barely mentions victims, but it lavishes billions on criminals.”

--Rep. Porter Goss (R-Fla.)