This is a live Special Report from AP Network news Clinton on crime. I'm like moss fired up by a procedural to feed the cat the crime bill from being voted on in the house last night. President Clinton is taking to the road and a stepped-up hard sale of a crime measure the presidents in Minneapolis about to speak to the Convention of the National Association of police organizations a group that supports the 33 billion dollar and a crime legislation and a group whose president Tom Scotto just moments ago said he was outraged that lawmakers who did not allow that crime Bill to come up for a vote in the house president was particularly angered by the house. Vote morning. He said Congressional opponents put their own political security ahead of the personal security of Americans the National Rifle Association with the primary opposition Lobby close to the crime Bill's provision calling for a ban on assault weapons speaking now in Minneapolis at the convention center is Mayor Sharon Belton. She is the mayor of Minneapolis and she has been speaking aboutSupport for this crime measure the measure would put 100,000 more police officers on the streets of a Nation House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt says that he expects that when the house reconsiders the crime bill which will happen next week. The assault weapon ban language. He says is likely to come under change in political terms that defeat last night has done the administration president called his cabin together this morning and clearly when the meeting ended they were all echo in the president's battle to fight fight fight until the crime Bill gets passed. The president said the crime Bill cannot die sources say that during that meeting the administration hierarchy discuss some of the show called pork elements of the bill. Most notable is a 10 million-dollar grin2a Texas college with just happens to be in the district is the Democratic chairman of the Judiciary Committee Jack Brooks. The pumpkins have said that if the administration can't pass a crime bill, it bodes poorly for the prospects of getting a still more controversial Health reform package.Through Congress before the year is over along with him on the trip to Minneapolis today. The president is being accompanied by a group of Mayors both Democrats and Republicans who support the crime Bill Maher Reardon Ave. Los Angeles could not make the trip but has sent a message of support on the dais. Now with the president make a Rudolph Giuliani the Republican mayor of New York City who has spoken out in favor of the crime Bill and who has criticized house lawmakers who didn't allow it to come up for a vote. Also speaking in support of the president's efforts mayor Ed Rendell, who is the mayor of Philadelphia in order to get the crime bill on to the house floor for a vote next week. The administration will need to terminate opposition votes into supporting votes. We are listening with mayor of Minneapolis who identified herself as having worked in law enforcement earlier in her career.She is a standing behind the podium and behind her dozens of policemen all in blue. Marin this is the Democratic mayor from the city of Philadelphia Edwin Del. What happened yesterday in Washington is an outrage. It's an outrage against the people of Philadelphia. It's an outrage against the people of Minneapolis and st. Paul and then it's an outrage against the people of America before I was married. I spent 17 years in law enforcement 9 as an assistant DA and 8 is the district attorney of Philadelphia. And for all that time. I listen to the debate on crime in Washington and everybody talked talked about cry everybody had fancy rhetoric and tough talk but nobody was willing to put up one nickel to help us help us in the Street Delphos Mo Prosecutors Office help these policemen do their job. We have a president who is the first president in recent memory who was willing to put his money where his mouth was who was willing to do something real to help America deal with its number one problem crime in our streets where I'm at, her house has crying everywhere. This President are to be commended this crime Bill ought to be passed. No ifs ands and buts. Let me tell you what this crime bill is not about it's not about partisanship on our stage today. We have Mara Rudolph Giuliani the great mayor of New York who happens to be a republican. We've heard loud and clear yesterday for a mere Richard rear of Los Angeles who happens to be a republican Mayors across this country who know what crime does Howard eats away the fabric of our society in our cities and our Town's mares understand that this isn't a Republican or Democratic issue. We are united the crime bill must be passed and this is not about pork. Does anybody think that increasing the number of uniformed police officers on the streets of America by over 15% is pork. Does anybody think that building 8 billion dollars worth of new prisons to hold dangerous criminals in is pork? Does anybody think programs that give kids a chance to be trained for jobs and get off drugs is pork or if they do they're sadly mistaken and they're playing Russian roulette with this nation's future. So for all of us for all Americans for all of our citizens, we must dedicate ourselves today to an all-out effort. None of us can rest until this crime bill, which will put 1,000 new police on the Streets of Philadelphia thousands more in towns and cities across this country until at Prineville is a reality police prisons and prevention. It won't solve all of our problems with crime, but I'll get us a long way down the road. Let's dedicate ourselves today not to just talk about it but to go out and do it in the next several days. Let's get this bill passed for our citizens in Philadelphia for your citizens in Minneapolis. And st. Paul's and for all the people of America. They said National Association of police organizations that what's the speaker is addressing in Minneapolis right now represents 160000 police officers around the country in America and someone who has already done something about putting more police on the street your own Marin St. Paul Norm Coleman as many of you know, recently made cuts and judicious cuts and other part of the city's budget so he could add 30 new police to the streets of St. Paul's that's the type of action we need that's what the president wants to do and let's bring it on Norm, with a big hand. The mayor of the other Twin City we've heard from the mayor of Minneapolis and now we listen to the mayor of st. Paul. This President members of law enforcement Community friends and neighbors Minnesota. We're proud to welcome you to the Twin Cities with Public Safety truly does come first. If you came here asking for our help in the streets and communities of America safer than mr. President. You have come to the right place 2 days ago, and now it's in my budget message that we would put 30 more police on the streets of st. Paul because I understand as you understand it as this crime Bill understands that we need that the public safety is the first priority of government that if we can create an environment with families feel safe a witch with businesses feel safer so that people can spend their lives in peace and safety then we will have safe neighborhood safe cities and we will have a safe America. It stops on the local gender. It stops on the agenda of every Mayer and every council member in America and it needs to be on the top of the national agenda. We need a national anti-crime policy. We need this crime Bill, mr. President. We also need to keep hope and optimism alive. It's a big part of what we're all about one way in which you keep hoping optimism Alive by the way is ensuring that our communities are safer. Your bill will put a hundred thousand more police on the streets of America. We need that America needs that but also to keep hope and optimism alive, you have to look at prevention and intervention is a piece in this crime bill that actually there is a program that we have in St. Paul. We call it a night moves and it's for kids at play basketball at 10 at night 11:12 at night one of those little things. Mr. President. That is a big thing couple weeks ago. I had the opportunity to visit with kids in our Juvenile Detention Center. These are kids who are from 10 to 17 years old and many of them were hardened tough criminals. There wasn't it wasn't a flicker of light that wasn't a glimmer of hope in their eyes and the one thing in my conversation that ignited a little bit of that glimmer of hope was talk about night moves. That was the one thing that they connected to Mr. President, we need to transform the flash of gunfire into a spark of hope you're crying bill can help ignite that spark of hope. We do need your crime Bill America needs to come together the People Say Paula coming together for safer communities of people of America all coming together to get rid of this violence and drugs and crime in Australia. We need the United States Congress to come together. We need the United States Congress to put aside the concern to the special interest in the narrow agendas. We need them to come together. We need to send a message and please mr. President bring back this message to Congress bring back this message to Washington. We can save our kids we can make our streets safer, but we need your crime bill to make that happen. God bless you and your work well with you all the way. Thank you very much. Lisa appearance today by the president in Minneapolis was hastily arranged the White House scrambling to try to reverse it. What happened at the house last night after the votes decided that the president would head out today and make his appearance before a very friendly hometowne the great city of New York. My mom and dad is still in Brooklyn. I want you to hearing from a male Rudolph Giuliani who is the new mayor of New York City and a republican who is in support of the program like other big-city Mayors. He knows the program will deliver more police for his screen. The mayor of st. Paul was originally from Brooklyn and the borough of president president of Brooklyn who happens to be a Democrat. Mr. President tells me that one out of seven people actually came from Brooklyn. It's true, You think that's true? I've spent a good deal of my life in law enforcement fighting crime. I grew up in a family in which I have four uncles who would police offices and from the time I was a very very little boy are they were my heroes and they continue to be my heroes because they're fighting a battle that unfortunately is a very difficult one and getting much worse. True a big City like Philadelphia like New York like Minneapolis like Los Angeles, but a true of all the Suburban areas in America and a true of the rural areas in America. We have too much crime. Are people are telling us that all people are worried about that they're concerned about it and they have a right to be and it is not a simple problem. It doesn't have a single answer to it. Yes, we need more police. This bill provides more police. Not just for the big city, but for all the areas of America, we need more police in all the areas of America, but we also need more jails and we need more prisons and this bill provides more jails and more prisons and we need tougher penalties against Crime and this bill provides tougher penalties against Crime and we need the death penalty and we need enforced in a more sensible way and this bill provides that but we also need to provide hope for the future. We need young people growing up with more hope and some of the young people who were growing up today so that we aren't constantly fighting what appears to be a losing battle and this bill also provides money and programs the try to help young people have Hope for their future. Much more of the money in this bill is provided for cops for jails from prisons in for law enforcement. But some of it is provided for programs that are designed to say to young people who were growing up with. No the maybe they can have a better future. We need to do that for them. But maybe even more importantly we need to do that for ourselves if we want to in a sensible way in a decent way and a humane way provide a better future for all of us. So I think this is a balance Bill sure there are things in it that probably someone disagrees with you can find a disagree with or I can find to disagree with and I'm sure there are parts of this the president disagrees with but it's been a long time and putting it together and it makes the single biggest step forward in the most sensible Way fighting the short-term and long-term problems of crime in a piece of legislation that will likely to get in a very long time. It would be a shame if we lost it over procedural possibilities rules over partisanship. This is something in which just as many Republicans as Democrats supported this just as many Republicans and democrats should be proud to support it. It's a time and which Republicans and Democrats can come together and work for the good of our entire country. We don't get as many opportunities as we should do that any longer. This is one in which we get the opportunity to do it to Step Beyond partisanship and try to help the country. So I'm very very proud to say not only is the mayor of New York City and if someone involved in law enforcement, but as a republican that I support this bill, I believe it's necessary and will do everything I can to help the president to pass it and thank you very much. Mr. President for Having the courage to carry on this fight. God bless. I think Giuliani of New York. Since I began by telling you that police officers are my heroes. I get the great privilege and an honor to introduce a sergeant right here in your Police Department a representative to naipo a police officer who has a long and distinguished career as a police officer, but also a police officer who goes into the schools and teachers young people about the dangers of drugs. This is one of these programs that people call prevention that some people are disturbed about these are exactly the kinds of programs that we need exactly the kinds of programs that we need more of and Sergeant Ganley. Will you please come forward if I'd like to shake your hand and thank you very very much. What's the song again that you do not know his first name? Thank you everybody. My name is Sergeant mccamly 23-year veteran of the Minneapolis Police Department and ask Rudy indicated. I'm currently serving as a DARE officer with the Minneapolis Police Department as a working police officer. I can tell you that I represent 6000 cops working cops in the state of Minnesota and we have joined hands with Naple and represent thousands of officers across the country and in Washington DC. They the rebate for years has been whether a crime bill should focus on Pro punishment or Pro prevention. I can tell you that as a working law enforcement professional out on the street every day. We need the tools to compete in today's world. The criminals are arming themselves better and better daily. They use the automatic weapons to ply their trade and we need we need support that is in this crime Bill. We've been working for several years attempting to get a comprehensive crime Bill a package pass and then acted so that we can go forward and and make some progress. I know that a lot of people talk about winning the war on crime. I think that a major piece of it is something that my grandmother used to tell me when I was a young kid and Grandma Kerwin told me it's so many times. It's kind of in my mind and that is an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I think we always have to keep that in mind that our goal really is to keep these kids out of prison. But if they grow up to going to prison and we have to have the facilities to house them it's unconscionable for me to think that special interest groups can derail all of the hard work that has been done over the years to put together this package this positive law enforcement package. I can tell you that President Clinton and law enforcement have been working hand-in-hand to get this package together and make it become a reality. I have never and I talked to other enforcement professionals. We have never had the support from the White House that we have today and I can tell you as I stand here today. The President Bill Clinton is one of the best friends that law enforcement has ever had. At this time, I'd like to tell you that I am truly humbled. It's a great professional honor and a distinct personal privilege to present to you. The president of the United States is Amelia's phone reception with the prince went to his genin from a police officer here this morning. His voice was a bit for so we may notice that is we listen to his peeps here in Minneapolis. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Sergeant gambling for your introduction and for your life of commitment I'm glad to be here again with Meijer Sales Belton and mayor Coleman in the Twin Cities area. I want to thank some of the wellstone and Congressman vento for flying home with me. And I want to thank congressman vento. along with Tenpenny, David Minge Martin Sabo gym over star and Jim Randstad for voting for safer streets and a brighter future last night in the United States House. I want to thank Tom Scotto and my longtime friend Bob Scully and the other members of maple Dennis Flaherty and others. for their support for all the elements of this crime bill I'd like to thank especially the two Mayors who flew here with me today. Want a republican want a Democrat both former prosecutors? People who believe and the promise of our country and our future and understand that unless we do something bad crime. We're never going to fulfill it Ed real Rudolph Giuliani. represent what this country ought to be about people belonging to the political party of their choice, but when the time comes putting party aside and putting people first and I thank them and I wish we had more like him in the United States Congress. Now folks you all know what happened last night. The House of Representatives tried to take the easy way out try to walk away from the crime bill. Because of organized intense and highly political pressure by majority walked away. Away from the police patrolling our streets. Away from the children and senior citizens afraid to walk on those streets. Away from all the hard-working middle-class Americans. Who are not organized into any group but who has told us over and over again that crime is their first concern and pleaded with us to do something about it. The people of Minneapolis know that taking the easy way out is no longer an option. 2 years ago next month Officer Jerry Hoff was shot in the back and a restaurant by gang members today his wife Marilyn their two children and their two grandchildren. And one son-in-law came to be with me and to meet with me. I'd like to ask them to stand up and be recognized. their husband father grandfather Gave everything he had to the Minneapolis Police Force for 30 years. He and his family deserve better and what they got from the House of Representatives last night. You know, we had a wonderful visit in there. It never occurred to me or the mayor Giuliani the mayor in jail. Are the congressman or senator wellstone who were in there visiting with his family to ask them whether they were Republicans Or democrats or Independents? I don't have a clue and I don't care. They're entitled to better then I got from the House of Representatives last night. Everyday the police. How this country including those in this wonderful National Organization who are convening here. Put on uniforms and badges and walk on streets into problems risking their lives to serve people. They're sworn to protect. They don't run from their responsibilities. They don't hide behind tricks and I don't walk away from their folks if they did think what would happen to the United States. That's why the walk away last night in Congress is so disturbing. the first responsibility of government Is Law and Order? Without that freedom can never really be fully alive without that people can never really fully pursue the American dream. The police are know that what their lies are all about. Most ordinary Americans without regard to their party know that deep down in their bones. Last night we had a vote on democracies most fundamental responsibility and Law & Order Lost 210 to 225. 225 members of the Congress participated in a procedural trick orchestrated by the National Rifle Association and intensely promoted by the Republican Congressional leadership a trick designed with one thing in mind to put the protection of partisan and special interest over the protection of ordinary Americans and still leave what mr. Scotto called The Jackie Mason trick. Well, I would have voted for it. If only it had been there for me to vote on. it's the same old Washington game just stick it to ordinary Americans because special interest can keep you in Congress forever and special interest can beat you because they're organized and they have money and they can confuse God-fearing hard-working ordinary Americans well, Goodness knows. I've seen a lot of that in my time as your president and even before. What the time is come for those of you to say that the only way for Congress to make their seats safe is to make the rest of America safer. when I ran for this office and when I went to Washington I had dreams that many said were not he. I really dream that we could govern and Washington the way most Mayors and governors do That somehow we would be able to go beyond the labels that colored our view of the past Beyond Republican and Democrat and liberal and conservative and whether you were for punishment or prevention in this case. Those old left-right Deals they make great headlines, but they often don't do anything to solve people's problems. They're great in 30 second ads throwing those rhetorical Bombs over the wall that your opponent. But they don't keep any kids alive. Or help any family to get through the day? And we're in a whole new era in which everything in the world is changing and we cannot afford to be bound by the categories of the past. The thing I like so much about this Prime Bill Maher Gianni's right if he sat down alone and wrote it it wouldn't be just like it is if I sat down alone and wrote it it wouldn't be just like it is but the thing is so good about it. Is it it rejects all those false choices? That the politics of the past always tries to impose on ordinary people and are complicated lives. It says no more false choices. Let's do what common sense dictates and the reason it does is that this bill was largely the handiwork of people in law enforcement. We never had a bill before that was endorsed by every Major law enforcement group in the entire United States. So it puts a hundred thousand police on the street. It says three strikes and you're out is the law of the land and makes available more funds for presents the house serious offenders headbands handgun ownership for juveniles and bans assault weapons that gangs and thugs used to outgun the police but it also protects 650 specifically named hunting and sporting weapons something the American people too often or not told. It imposes tougher penalties for violent crimes. All right. There is a death penalty for killing an officer of the law in the land of Duty but it also has the prevention funds in there. You heard these people in law enforcement talking about it. It makes my blood boil when I hear people talking about pork because you see I have seen the eyes of school children after the DARE officer has talked to them. I remember when the Dare program came into my child's Elementary School. And how it affected the way she looked at the whole issue of drugs and her personal responsibility and how it affected all those kids who never had a daddy at home to say this is right or this is wrong who didn't have a job in the home to say this is the future you can have it we trying to kid with all this rhetoric. Talk to people like us who's been to the funerals of police officers gunned down in the line of duty and I dare you to find one person who knows anything about this who's not for tougher punishment and more prevention. Just imagine what would be happening in America today? If Congress had yesterday voted to take a hundred thousand police officers off of the street. To put 19 more kinds of assault weapons on the street. To get rid of prison space for a hundred thousand criminals. Well, that's what they did. No, 200,000 police no to the juvenile ownership of handguns banned. No to the assault weapons ban notice three strikes and you're out. No to the prisons no to the prevention. You know, this is a kind of political mess Congress has been calling over this crime bill for 6 years. Before I ever showed up under to previous presidents just politics everybody talked about crime and I've never got done for 6 years the average violent criminal only stays in prison for years. We want to hold you in a race and go by with nothing getting done. Last night we gave the Congress a chance to put people ahead of politics. To go with police and Punishment and prevention. And until last night, I really thought they would. Until last night. This crime bill was a bipartisan effort to the Core. The first time the bill came up in the House of Representatives. The assault weapons ban wasn't in it, but there was even more prevention money in it and 65 Republicans voted for the crime Bill last April with the prevention money. They now attack in the bill in May 38 Republicans voted for the assault weapons ban with the 650 hunting and sporting weapons protected, but when the crime bill came back to the house, it had even more police more prisons tougher penalties. And the assault weapons ban they had already adopted. then instead of 65 Republicans or even 38 only 11 Brave Republicans including Jim ramstad from Minnesota. Stood up and did the right thing the rest including 19 Republicans who voted for everything in this bill and more than 50 who voted for the prevention programs. They now attack walked away and turned it into a partisan issue. Yes, they were joined in voting. No by some Democrats a handful of whom or on grounds of conscience opposed to the death penalty. Most of them came from places like my home. I come from a small town Rural America where hunting is important where the crime rates tend to be lower where the NRA? Is very successful. It's scaring people with misinformation. But you know something there were a lot of Democrats who voted against the assault weapons ban who came back and voted for the crime Bill last night. There were some Democrats who are deeply opposed to Capital Punishment and they still voted for the crime Bill last night because they put the safety of the people of this country first. We need more Democrats and we need more Republicans to follow the lead of those 11 Brave Republicans and the Democrats who put aside their differences with certain specific Provisions to put the American people first. That is what we must have more people like people who believe in you and your future and will not take the easy way out. The walkaway crowd has got to change. You know that we didn't get you a crime Bill yesterday. But we're going to get you a crime bill. We are going to get to all the police officers in this country who walk out there for us every day. Washington cannot walk away from you. can all the ordinary Americans who are Just out there watching this unfold hearing all the rhetorical Wars back and forth who know there's no American Association for ordinary citizens up there walking the halls of Congress. We're not going to walk away from you either. Yeah, it was a defeat yesterday and I felt terrible about it this morning. I woke up feeling good cuz that's a vote. I'd much rather be on the losing side of then The Winning Side. I am glad I will never have to explain to my wife my daughter my grandchildren and the people who sent me to Washington why I did something like what was done to the American people yesterday. Let us turn it around and put the people of this country first. Thank you and God bless you all. And a warm reception those in attendance standing up and applauding the president or his voice may have sounded somewhat weekend is just finished address to the National Association of police organizations Clearlake. President Clinton has come out strong and he's wear nude campaign to win support for the 33 billion dollar crime Bill Clinton the Potted Republican mayor Rudolph Giuliani of New York Democrat Ed Rendell the mayor of Philadelphia both of whom support the bill and Bozeman like putting that Express anger and frustration that the crime bill has not cleared the house president has all Americans deserve better than what they got last night from the house or the house by procedural vote kept the crime bill for making it to the floor where we would come up for a yes or no vote president called the house action disturbing and said lawmakers are ignoring the most important function of government maintaining Law and Order Clinton said Law & Order lost last night vote and they called the defeat part of a procedural trick orchestrated by the National Rifle Association with the backing of GOP Congressional leaders. Said it was the same old Washington game battling to the pressure of special interest groups. And the president said the time has come when the only way for congressmen and women to make their seat safe is to make the rest of America safer did the president expressed frustration and personal disillusionment saying some of his hopes when he entered office to go beyond partisanship have been clouded by more of the same the final the president promising the crime bill would be passed saying that the police officers in attendance. We're going to get you a crime bill. This is been alive Special Report from the AP Network news Clinton on crime by Mike Morse and this is the Associated Press Radio Network.