[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 78 (Thursday, May 11, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6497-S6498]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, our friend from Arkansas has brought to our 
attention the fact that former President Bush has decided to resign 
from the National Rifle Association because of its refusal to repudiate 
some statements which were made by a vice president of NRA in a 
fundraising letter. I join Senator Pryor in commending former President 
Bush for his action. I am sure it is a difficult one for the President, 
as a decades-long member of the NRA and as someone who believes in so 
many of its programs and efforts to protect rights under the second 
amendment.
  But what President Bush reacted to is what I think most Americans who 
have read this letter reacted to, which is a statement by Mr. LaPierre, 
among others, that the Clinton administration has authorized law 
enforcement personnel to murder law-abiding citizens.
  Those are the words in the letter. It is an outrageous allegation 
about any American President or any American administration. I do not 
think 1 percent of the members of the NRA believe that the Clinton 
administration has authorized its agents, its Treasury agents, its FBI 
agents, its law enforcement agents, to murder law-abiding citizens. I 
wrote a letter to Tom Washington, whom I know. He is a resident of 
Michigan who was president of the National Rifle Association, urging 
him to retract that statement and some other allegations in that letter 
which are, I think, equally offensive, but at least that statement.
  In his response to me, which I put in the Record yesterday or the day 
before yesterday, he really did not respond to the request. He simply 
acknowledged that sometimes fundraising letters have exaggerated 
rhetoric. But this is not a case of just exaggerated rhetoric. This is 
an allegation by one of the Nation's largest organizations that this 
administration has given the go-ahead to law enforcement personnel to 
murder--I am using the word murder because that is exactly the word 
that they used; indeed the letter underlines it, italicizes it, 
emphasizes it--to murder law-abiding citizens.
  I do not think, again, anybody on this floor would think there is 
truth to that statement. I do not think 1 percent of the members, as I 
said, of the NRA believes there is truth to that statement. It is that 
kind of a statement, of a wild statement, of an irresponsible statement 
by a major organization, which is creating an unacceptable climate in 
this country, I believe. Is it the only statement? Of course not. 
Others have made outrageous statements, too. Do they have a right to 
make that statement under the first amendment? They do. I will defend 
it.
  [[Page S6498]] They may have a right to make that statement, but that 
does not make it right to make that kind of a statement. It should be 
retracted.
  I commend President Bush and I hope other members of the NRA, in one 
way or another, would let their leadership know that kind of rhetoric 
is unacceptable about an American administration. Like any other 
administration, it, I am sure, has agents who make mistakes from time 
to time. There is a place to rectify them. It is called a court. But to 
make that allegation from an organization the size of the NRA I think 
is unacceptable, it is irresponsible, and it still should be retracted.
  I thank my friend from Arkansas for his continuing effort to try to 
bring some kind of calmer normalcy into the general climate in this 
country.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President I just want to observe that the managers of 
the pending legislation I understand are working on some agreements 
hopefully that will make it possible to wrap up this legislation before 
the day is out. Therefore, at this time, I suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I would like to ask the Chair what the 
pending business is.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The pending business of the Senate is the 
Hatch amendment numbered 755.
  Mr. COATS. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Gregg). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.


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