[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 31, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H9382]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    A POLITICAL ANSWER TO TERRORISM

  (Mr. SCHUMER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. Speaker, the No. 1 question I was asked when I 
talked to my constituents on the phone last night and this morning is, 
why the heck would anyone oppose putting taggants, little tracers in 
explosives so that we can find those who commit terrorism.
  There is no good answer. There is no good substantive answer. There 
is a political answer.
  The reason this House is not going to address the issue of putting 
taggants, tracers explosives is three letters: NRA.
  We all know it is the right thing to do. In fact, at all the hearings 
our committee held, there were only two groups of people who were 
against putting these taggants in explosives. Those were either 
explosive manufacturers or the gun lobby. But the NRA is making a 
serious mistake here.
  The average gun owner does not agree with it. The average gun owner, 
who has a few hunting rifles or, in the city, carries a gun around for 
self-defense, they do not see that it is the NRA's business that 
explosives are tagged so we can find terrorists.

  Congress, get with it. Stand up to the NRA and let our law 
enforcement be able to trace explosives with taggants.

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