WASHINGTON — Congress seemed to step back into the 1880s Thursday as polygamist women in pioneer dresses listened in a packed hearing room as the Senate's top leader urged stepped-up law enforcement against criminal syndicates he says lead polygamous groups.

Unlike the anti-polygamy crusades of the 1800s, the leader this time is a Mormon: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. And he applauded the fact that the hearing on crimes by polygamists came before the Judiciary Committee on Pioneer Day.

"We do honor our pioneer ancestors by condemning those who have wrongfully cloaked themselves in the trappings of religion to obscure their true criminal purposes," Reid said, as the national media watched and national cable TV carried comments live.

"I am here to tell you that polygamist communities in the United States are a form of organized crime," he said. "The most obvious crime being committed in these communities is bigamy, child abuse — teen and pre-teen girls are forced to marry older men and bear their children."

Reid said other crimes they commit include "welfare fraud, tax evasion, massive corruption and strong-arm tactics to maintain what they think are the status quo. These crimes are systematic, sophisticated and are frequently carried out across state lines."

Reid said such groups have spread across North America. "States need help. They are on the front line of this fight, and it is a fight," he said. He filed a bill on Wednesday to create a federal task force to coordinate investigation of crimes committed by polygamous groups — an idea Reid said he began suggesting in 2006.

It also would make funds available to help states and victims. "Because these organizations routinely threaten, harass and tamper with victims planning on testifying against them, it is necessary to provide targeted funds so that law enforcement can protect them and, if necessary, shield their identity," Reid said.

Polygamous groups denounced Reid's actions — but did so outside of the hearing, because they were not invited to testify. Some federal officials also said the coordinated effort that Reid wants already is occurring. But other officials — and some former polygamists — seconded Reid's call for better federal-state coordination.

Jim Bradshaw, a Utah attorney who is spokesman for the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said in the hall outside the hearing, "It is disturbing that they are profiling a group of people for their religious beliefs. If they did this to any other group, there would be outrage."