mr. chairman , i rise in strong opposition to this bill , which offers no solution to our nation 's gang violence problem , and in support of the waters-scott amendment which strikes the mandatory sentences provisions . 
clearly , in many neighborhoods throughout our country , we have a gang violence problem . 
yet dramatically increasing prison terms and failing to fund proven strategies to reduce youth violence is exactly what h.r. 1279 does . 
violence in gangs is a critical problem , persistent among low-income and minority communities . 
today we see that 95 percent of the largest cities and 88 percent of the smaller cities are confronted with gang-related crimes . 
more and more younger kids are joining gangs . 
but no value of hope is given to these children seeking a way out of the gang activity . 
we must face this reality , rather than hide from it . 
it seems to me that the only solution being offered by this legislation to our juveniles involved in gangs is locking them into a life path where there is no way out . 
whatever happened to gang prevention programs , to the funding desperately needed for delinquency and intervention programs ? 
if we want to deter gang violence and protect our communities , we need to focus on effective and comprehensive solutions to address the root causes of youth violence , not simply punitive actions . 
mr. chairman , passing this bill will do nothing to stem the tide of gang violence throughout this country . 
what this bill will do is worsen our youth 's violent behavior by enslaving our youngsters into prison as an answer to one of this nation 's most critical problems , and that is no solution at all . 
i urge my colleagues to support the waters-scott amendment and to oppose the underlying bill . 
