[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 59 (Thursday, March 30, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H4004-H4005]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                   CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT SANE GUN LAWS

  (Mrs. SCHROEDER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks and include 
extraneous material.)
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Goodlatte). Without objection, the 
gentlewoman from Colorado is recognized for 1 minute.
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. SCHROEDER. Mr. Speaker, today is a very tragic day because it is 
the 14th anniversary of the shooting of President Reagan and his press 
secretary, Jim Brady. And tomorrow is going to mark the beginning of a 
campaign to protect sane gun laws by 82 national organizations 
representing 88 million Americans.
  Why are these organizations mobilizing? Tomorrow they will speak for 
themselves, but they are beginning their congressional campaign 
tomorrow to make sure, to make sure that Federal gun laws that make 
sense will not be repealed after the 100-day contract period is 
finished.
  Mr. Speaker, I will include for the Record at this point an article 
from Newsweek magazine calling on pulling the trigger on guns.
  This article, I think, is a very important one, and tells why these 
many, many organizations and Americans are very, very frightened, that 
some of the important gains we made after this tragedy that happened 14 
years ago are apparently about to be assaulted and repealed in May of 
this year, right here in this very House.
  So, I hope that everybody thinks about it. When you look at the Brady 
bill we know that last year it stopped 
[[Page H4005]] 70,000 felons and other prohibited buyers from getting 
guns. That is very, very critical.
  In my State of Colorado this week we saw all sorts of backsliding on 
gun legislation, with people trying to push easy access to concealed 
weapons. This is not what this country needs.
  So I salute this campaign to protect sane gun laws, and I certainly 
hope all of us work very hard to hold the gains we made in these last 
14 years after the tragic event that happened 14 years ago today.
  Mr. Speaker, today--March 30--marks the 14th anniversary of the 
shooting of President Reagan and his press secretary, Jim Brady. And 
tomorrow marks the beginning of a campaign to protect sane gun laws by 
82 national organizations representing 88 million members. Why are 
these organizations mobilizing? Because tomorrow also marks the 
beginning of a congressional campaign to repeal Federal gun laws, 
beginning with hearings and culminating in floor consideration in May 
of a bill to repeal the assault weapon ban.
  Take heed, America. Sensible gun laws are at risk. That means that 
you are at risk. The gun lobby is working hard to weaken the Brady 
law's waiting periods and background checks that screen out criminals, 
as well as the assault weapons ban and the enforcement of Federal 
firearm laws. Yet we know Brady works--last year it stopped about 
70,000 felons and other prohibited buyers from getting handguns over 
the counter.
  In my State of Colorado, the House this week passed a bill to ease 
access to concealed weapons. It would require the State to issue 
concealed weapons permits to anyone who meets minimum qualifications. 
We hear the sheriff of El Paso County is handing out concealed weapons 
like candy. The bill led one Democratic House Member to predict that 
traffic altercations and arguments in bars would turn into homicides in 
a floodgate of lawlessness. We might as well return to the Wild West.
  This backsliding from sane guns laws is troubling. Putting more guns 
on the street will not make our communities safer. And it certainly 
won't make our children safer.
                      Pulling the Trigger on Guns

       Even as States ease restrictions on concealed weapons, the 
     gun lobby is eyeing a far-reaching rollback of federal gun-
     control laws. Although top priority is repeal of last year's 
     assault-weapons ban, another measure being eyed by a task 
     force appointed by House Speaker Newt Gingrich would wipe out 
     all other gun-related sections of last year's crime bill--
     even the ban on juvenile handgun possession. ``The sooner we 
     get rid of that iniquitous bill, the better,'' says a top 
     National Rifle Association official.
       To smooth the way, House Republicans plan a series of 
     hearings beginning this week at which crime victims will 
     testify how firepower saved their lives. One woman 
     shopkeeper, for example, is expected to tell how she blew 
     away an assailant with an AR-15 assault weapon. ``The idea is 
     to show firearms are an important part of public safety and 
     self-defense,'' says a GOP staffer. Gun-control advocates 
     predict the hearings will backfire. ``They're playing to a 
     small band of extremists,'' says New York Rep. Charles 
     Schumer.
     

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