It's my understanding that this amendment failed to make them
mandatory.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
Gun-control advocates believed the April 20 shootings in suburban
Denver would help their efforts. But the Senate on Wednesday rejected,
51-47, a measure by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., that would have
imposed mandatory background checks on private sales of guns at gun
shows. The law already requires checks on dealer sales at gun shows.
Senators instead voted 53-45 for Craig's voluntary background checks.
``The U.S. Senate learned very little from Littleton,'' Sen. Dick Durbin,
D-Ill., told reporters after the votes.
Reno told her weekly news conference: ``I am stunned that less than one
month after the worst school shooting in our nation's history, the Senate
has decided to make it easier for felons, fugitives and other prohibited
purchasers to buy guns,'' Reno said.
And she said Craig's amendment ``actually weakened one of the most
effective gun laws we have ever had.''
She said that amendment ``may be disguised as gun-show legislation, but
make no mistake: It will not prevent criminals and children from buying
deadly weapons at gun shows. Instead, it will jeopardize our ability to
continue the background checks that we currently do.''
Aides explained that the Craig amendment would repeal the requirement
that pawnshops conduct background checks on people redeeming their
own guns. Such pawnshop checks have been required only since last
Nov. 1.
Reno said the part of the NRA that fears any gun regulation will lead to
federal control needs ``to relax for a while.'' She maintained that a
majority of citizens supports guns checks and that the Brady Act that
provides for them has not inconvenienced law-abiding gun users.
The sponsor of voluntary checks on gun sales said his measure struck a
better balance between caution and the rights of gun owners and sellers.
Craig said the Democratic bill, sponsored by Lautenberg, would have
unfairly cracked down on ``private citizens who come to gun shows and
engage in discussion with other private citizens and decide to exchange or
sell their guns.''
``Is that a loophole?'' asked Craig. [/quote]
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John/az
"Just because something is popular, does not make it right."
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