Clinton Wants Fast Action on Gun Law
By Jim Abrams
Associated Press Writer
Monday, May 15, 2000; 5:36 p.m. EDT
WASHINGTON ?? President Clinton praised congressional negotiators
Monday for moving to resolve an impasse over gun control and urged quick
passage of legislation he said would keep more Americans alive.
"This should not be a political issue," Clinton said at a ceremony honoring
police officers killed in the line of duty. "It's about keeping guns out of the
hands of criminals, and keeping more of our citizens, especially our children
and our police officers, alive."
The president praised Reps. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., and John Conyers, D-Mich.,
the chairman and top Democrat of the House Judiciary Committee, for
making progress on issues that have delayed passage of gun control
legislation for nearly a year.
Hyde wrote Conyers late Friday informing him he was willing to change the
definition of a "gun show" to ensure that it would include any event "used to
facilitate the sale of firearms." He also appeared willing to expand the pool of
potential buyers subject to three-day background checks.
Conyers and other Democrats said that previous compromise plans offered
by Hyde made it too easy for gun sellers to claim they were not holding a
gun show and thus would not be subject to Brady Act background checks.
Conyers, in a response to Hyde, commended his willingness to engage in
substantive negotiations on the issue. Closing the gun show loophole, he
said, was "an exceedingly modest proposition" that Congress should be able
to accomplish.
Hyde's spokesman, Sam Stratman, said the Republican side is now
reviewing a compromise proposal made by Conyers. "We'll have an answer
for Mr. Conyers sooner rather than later," he said.
A juvenile crime bill passed by the Senate last year contained gun control
language that required gun show buyers to go through background checks,
promoted child trigger locks, banned the importation of large capacity
ammunition clips and prohibited juveniles with serious criminal records from
possessing guns.
A similar House bill did not include the gun provisions. Hyde and other GOP
leaders have since agreed that the gun safety measures must be part of the
final bill, but an acceptable compromise has eluded the negotiators, with the
gun show language being the biggest sticking point.
The failure of Congress to move on gun safety legislation was a major theme
of the Million Mom March that drew a large turnout to the Washington Mall on
Sunday.
Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., predicted Monday that the march would
finally give Congress the push it needed to take action. "I believe that at long
last, Congress will say no to the National Rifle Association, and yes to the
hundreds of thousands of mothers from across the United States who
marched on the nation's Capitol to demand an end to the epidemic of gun
violence."
(C) Copyright 2000 The Associated Press
------------------
Sending e-mails to Congress is almost useless.
They hardly ever get read.
Since most members of Congress are clueless;
Send handwritten letters instead!!!
Second Amendment Activist's Forum
By Jim Abrams
Associated Press Writer
Monday, May 15, 2000; 5:36 p.m. EDT
WASHINGTON ?? President Clinton praised congressional negotiators
Monday for moving to resolve an impasse over gun control and urged quick
passage of legislation he said would keep more Americans alive.
"This should not be a political issue," Clinton said at a ceremony honoring
police officers killed in the line of duty. "It's about keeping guns out of the
hands of criminals, and keeping more of our citizens, especially our children
and our police officers, alive."
The president praised Reps. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., and John Conyers, D-Mich.,
the chairman and top Democrat of the House Judiciary Committee, for
making progress on issues that have delayed passage of gun control
legislation for nearly a year.
Hyde wrote Conyers late Friday informing him he was willing to change the
definition of a "gun show" to ensure that it would include any event "used to
facilitate the sale of firearms." He also appeared willing to expand the pool of
potential buyers subject to three-day background checks.
Conyers and other Democrats said that previous compromise plans offered
by Hyde made it too easy for gun sellers to claim they were not holding a
gun show and thus would not be subject to Brady Act background checks.
Conyers, in a response to Hyde, commended his willingness to engage in
substantive negotiations on the issue. Closing the gun show loophole, he
said, was "an exceedingly modest proposition" that Congress should be able
to accomplish.
Hyde's spokesman, Sam Stratman, said the Republican side is now
reviewing a compromise proposal made by Conyers. "We'll have an answer
for Mr. Conyers sooner rather than later," he said.
A juvenile crime bill passed by the Senate last year contained gun control
language that required gun show buyers to go through background checks,
promoted child trigger locks, banned the importation of large capacity
ammunition clips and prohibited juveniles with serious criminal records from
possessing guns.
A similar House bill did not include the gun provisions. Hyde and other GOP
leaders have since agreed that the gun safety measures must be part of the
final bill, but an acceptable compromise has eluded the negotiators, with the
gun show language being the biggest sticking point.
The failure of Congress to move on gun safety legislation was a major theme
of the Million Mom March that drew a large turnout to the Washington Mall on
Sunday.
Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., predicted Monday that the march would
finally give Congress the push it needed to take action. "I believe that at long
last, Congress will say no to the National Rifle Association, and yes to the
hundreds of thousands of mothers from across the United States who
marched on the nation's Capitol to demand an end to the epidemic of gun
violence."
(C) Copyright 2000 The Associated Press
------------------
Sending e-mails to Congress is almost useless.
They hardly ever get read.
Since most members of Congress are clueless;
Send handwritten letters instead!!!
Second Amendment Activist's Forum