Protecting children from crime has long been a priority of mine, from the passage of the landmark Missing Children Act in 1982 to the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. I am also the Senate Republican who championed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

Recognizing that the nation’s police are the thin blue line between order and chaos, I have made a priority of strengthening and supporting America’s law enforcement agencies. While we must prosecute criminals to the fullest extent of the law, we must also acknowledge that America cannot incarcerate its way out of its drug problems, and we must adopt a holistic approach to stamping out the blight of drugs.

While I am extremely pleased with the nationwide decrease in violent crime rates in recent years, I recognize that the federal government must be ever vigilant to protect its citizens. I am steadfast in my dedication to consider and introduce any appropriate federal legislation which might limit the effects of crime in our communities.