Mr. Chairman,

The only crimes that should be punishable by death are murder and treason.

I yield.

Mr. Chairman,

I rise in opposition to this legislation. Capital punishment is a flawed method of doling out punishment, and as a civilized nation we should be working towards banning capital punishment, as opposed to expanding its uses. Furthermore, the death penalty has not been conclusively proven to deter criminals in engaging in criminal behavior, and an execution should be used to condemn certain types of criminal behavior, including murder. Such an act by the state is the mirror image of the criminal's willingness to use physical violence against a victim.

Additionally, it should be noted that the United States has joined such bastions of human rights as China, Iran and Iraq, Cuba, Rwanda, and the Sudan in retaining the death penalty as a form of punishment. While the United States has continued to utilize the death penalty, nations such as England, Australia, Canada, Spain, Germany, and France has abolished the death penalty. While some would argue that those countries are weaker in their enforcement of criminal activity, I would argue that they are simply more enlightened than we have been in the United States.

Again, I would like my strong opposition to this legislation to be heard, and I urge my fellow Representatives to stand with me in opposing this legislation.

I yield.

Mr. Chairman --

I rise in opposition. Surely, society demands that we reserve the ultimate punishment of death for those crimes most heinous, and for those who are unquestionably guilty and dangerous.

Nonetheless, we should hope and pray that we can reduce the number of executions. I feel quite deeply that bloodlust degrades the spirit of our great nation, a nation that values life and redemption.

We must surely punish child molesters, smugglers, and subversives harshly; and dope-dealing as is appropriate.

Nonetheless, even under the lex talionis it would not be just to punish such crimes by death. And surely in a nation built upon Christian virtue (if not necessarily any particular religion), the lex talionis would be the outer bounds of acceptable government behavior.

Mr. Chairman,

I must rise alongside my colleagues in opposition. Capital Punishment is simply flawed as it exists now. To expand the death penalty to include narcotic crimes is simply irresponsible and unacceptable.

I yield

Mr. Chair:

The Death penelity puts the United States on par with the murders and rapists this bill is aiming to punish. I will not accept this, nor will the citizens of my congressional district accept this in any way shape or form.

I yield.

Mr. Chair,

I find it ironic that a liberal Progressive would co-sponsor this exceedingly harsh bill. I cannot support this act because I find it using excessive force. I feel that the death penalty should be used sparingly, and the mass executions of rapists, drug dealers, etc. does bring chills to my bone. What constitutes rape? Drug Dealing? These are vague ideas which could be abused by an activist court.

We should harshly punish these crimes with prison sentences and prison labor programs. However, the death penalty expansion is taking it too far.

I urge my fellow congresspersons to vote this down.

I yield.

Mr. Chairman

I must say that I stand with my colleagues on this bill. While I am in favor of the death penalty for heinous crimes that warrant it, I cannot say that rape or drug dealing qualify. As my distinguished colleague from Michigan stated, rape in particular, is a crime that can be severely subjective and abused, and death is a much too severe punishment for such a crime.

I yield.

Mr. Chairman,

I too must stand in opposition to this expansion of the capital punishment. In my humble opinion, we should be looking for ways to fix the conditions which the death penalty is currently used for to ensure that innocent persons are not put to death.

I yield.

Although debate has technically ended on this bill, the author has contacted me, wishing to provide a statement on it, and perhaps answer some questions. If there are no objections within 24 hours, I will extend debate by two days.

Mr Chair

This Bill is an attempt to legalize state sponsored terrorism against American citizens exercising their rights to the pursuit of happiness

I Yield

Well, the author never came, so I'm ending debate.