SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Alliance Defense Fund President, CEO, and General Counsel Alan Sears commended President Bush Thursday for his promise to veto H.R. 1592, the federal “hate” crimes legislation, if it reaches his desk.
“All violent crimes are ‘hate’ crimes, and all crime victims deserve equal justice under the law,” said Sears. “The president rightly recognized that this bill was not only unnecessary, but very likely unconstitutional. We strongly commend the President for taking a bold stand on principle and for the Constitution by promising to veto this potentially free-speech-chilling bill.”
In a statement released this morning, the Executive Office of the President said the following:
“The Administration favors strong criminal penalties for violent crime, including crime based on personal characteristics, such as race, color, religion, or national origin. However, the Administration believes that H.R. 1592 is unnecessary and constitutionally questionable. If H.R. 1592 were presented to the President, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill….
“H.R. 1592 prohibits willfully causing or attempting to cause bodily injury to any person based upon the victim’s race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. The Administration notes that the bill would leave other classes (such as the elderly, members of the military, police officers, and victims of prior crimes) without similar special status. The Administration believes that all violent crimes are unacceptable, regardless of the victims, and should be punished firmly….”
“We are heartened by the fact that the President has agreed to honor our nation’s constitutional tradition of equal protection under the law,” said Sears.
A copy of the White House’s statement can be read at
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/legislative/sap/110-1/hr1592sap-h.pdf.
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