Senate passes child porn bills

[September 24, 2008]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- Long-stalled legislation making it easier to prosecute those engaged in child pornography cleared the Senate Tuesday.

The voice vote on the child pornography measure and several other bills marked a momentary truce between Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., a fierce fiscal conservative known for holding up legislation, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

The measure combines two bills passed by the House last year. One closes a loophole caused when a federal court ruled that images obtained on the Internet were not necessarily submitted across state lines and thus subject to federal authority over interstate commerce.

The other allows prosecutors to include money laundering as a tool in child pornography cases and makes it easier to prosecute those who repeatedly view child pornography. The bill must go back to the House for another vote.

The Senate also approved legislation, promoted by Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Sam Brownback, R-Kan., that requires that families receiving a prenatal or postnatal diagnosis of Down syndrome or other conditions be given up-to-date information about the nature of the condition and be connected to support services.

Additionally, the Senate voted to create a nationwide registry for ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease.

The four were part of a package of 35 bills that Reid put together from largely noncontroversial measures that Coburn and other Republicans had stopped from moving forward, either because they wanted debate time or objected to the costs. Reid has on several occasions in recent weeks tried to pass all 35 in one package, but Coburn has stood in the way.

"To the dismay of most of my colleagues," Coburn said Tuesday, "I've said the American people ought to hear a debate and we ought to be able to amend the bills." He said the 35 bills, some of which he supported, would come to $10 billion in new spending.

"It's an abuse of the process and it's shameful," Reid said Monday. He added Tuesday that his office had tried to work with Coburn but it was "a big waste of time."

Reid said he would continue to try next year to pass the bills, which include measures focused on specific illnesses, child protection and preservation of the environment.

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The child pornography bill is H.R. 4120 and H.R. 4136.

The ALS bill is H.R. 2295.

The Down syndrome bill is S. 1810.

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On the Net:

Congress: http://thjomas.loc.gov/

[Associated Press; By JIM ABRAMS]

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