WASHINGTON — Congress seemed to step back into the 1880s on Thursday, as polygamist women in pioneer dresses listened in a packed hearing room as the Senate's 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."

He filed a bill on Wednesday to create a federal task force to coordinate investigation of crimes committed by polygamous groups. 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.

"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, "Jim Bradshaw, a Utah attorney who is spokesman for the Fundamentalist LDS Church, said in the hall outside the hearing.

He added, "We are very disturbed that the Senate Judiciary Committee conducts a purported fact-finding hearing with an obviously choreographed list of witnesses that are one-sided, and that they refused to allow the FLDS to be heard."

FLDS member Willie Jessop said he thinks Reid made his proposals to help his re-election chances in Nevada by doing something he believes will be applauded by fellow Mormons there, "and he won't win without the Mormon vote."