[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 69 (Thursday, May 22, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5013-S5014]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THE GUN KINGPIN DEATH PENALTY ACT OF 1997
Mr. TORRICELLI. Mr. President, I rise today, on behalf of myself and
the distinguished Senator from California, Senator Feinstein, to
introduce the Gun Kingpin Death Penalty Act of 1997. I hope that our
colleagues will soon join us in sending a clear and strong signal to
our most violent gunrunners--your actions will no longer be tolerated.
Mr. President, the fight against gun violence is a long-term, many-
staged process. We have already succeeded in enacting the Brady bill
and the ban on devastating assault weapons. Last year, even in the
midst of what many consider a hostile Congress, we told domestic
violence offenders that they could no longer own a gun.
And these laws have been effective: 186,000 prohibited individuals
have already been denied a handgun due to Brady background checks--70
percent of these people were convicted or indicted felons. Traces of
assault weapons have plummeted since the ban, and prices have gone up.
And our law enforcement officers are no longer dying at the hands of
criminals armed with assault weapons.
As I said, we have been successful. But we cannot be satisfied with
victories in battle--we must use every avenue possible to win the war
against gun violence.
Mr. President, it is for this reason that I rose just a few weeks ago
with Senator Durbin to introduce a new prosecutorial tool in the fight
to stop gun traffickers--the Gun Kingpin Penalty Act of 1997. That bill
would institute a sliding scale of mandatory minimum penalties for the
worst gunrunners, and I hope we can debate it soon.
But we must also address the problem of the most violent and
dangerous offenders--those who commit murder in furtherance of their
gun trafficking crimes. So I rise again today to issue a new
challenge--send a message to murderous gunrunners that their violence
must stop.
Our Gun Kingpin Death Penalty Act of 1997, which is modeled after the
Drug Kingpin Death Penalty legislation already enacted into law,
provides that any criminal who commits murder or successfully orders a
murder committed during the course of trafficking in more than 25
firearms may receive life in prison or the death penalty. This
provision gives Federal prosecutors one more tool in the fight against
gun trafficking, and sends out a warning to all violent gunrunners--
think twice before you act.
Mr. President, when I rose with Senator Durbin last month to
introduce the first in this two-bill attack on gunrunners, I cited
recent numbers gathered by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
which clearly demonstrate what many of us already knew all too well--
several key highways in this country have become so-called firearm
freeways--pipelines for merchants of death who deal in illegal
firearms.
We learned from the ATF data that in 1996, New Jersey exported fewer
guns used in crimes, per capita, than any other State--less than one
gun per 100,000 residents, or 75 total guns. In contrast, Mississippi
exported 29 of these guns per capita last year.
Meanwhile, an incredible number of guns used to commit crimes in New
Jersey last year came from out-of-State--944 guns were imported and
used to commit crimes compared to only 75 exported--a net import of 869
illegal guns used to commit crimes against the people of New Jersey.
In fact, the top six exporters of illegal guns used to commit crimes
in New Jersey supplied 62 percent of the guns, 585, and only one of
those six States--North Carolina--has strong gun control laws.
This represents a one-way street--guns come from States with lax gun
laws straight to States--like New Jersey--with strong laws.
New Jersey has long been proud to have some of the toughest gun
control laws in the Nation. But for far too long, the courageous
efforts of New Jersey citizens in enacting these tough laws have been
weakened by out-of-State gunrunners who treat our State like their own
personal retail outlet.
It is clear that New Jersey's strong gun control laws offer criminals
little choice but to import their guns from States with weak laws. We
must act on a Federal level to send a clear message that this cannot
continue and will not be tolerated. And we must send an equally clear
message that gunrunners who commit murder risk the ultimate of
penalties.
Finally, Mr. President, I remind my colleagues that we cannot rest
satisfied simply because we have succeeded in the past. The problem of
illegal gun traffickers will not just go away, and we cannot stand by
and watch as innocent men, women, and children die at
[[Page S5014]]
the hands of criminals armed with these guns. I urge my colleagues to
support this bill. I ask that the bill be printed in the record.
There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the
Record, as follows:
S. 796
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Gun Kingpin Death Penalty
Act of 1997''.
SEC. 2. DEATH PENALTY FOR CERTAIN FIREARMS TRAFFICKING
VIOLATIONS.
Section 924 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(p) In addition to any other penalties set forth in this
title, any person engaging in an offense under paragraph
(1)(A) or (3) of section 922(a) that involves 25 or more
firearms, who intentionally kills or counsels, commands,
induces, procures, or causes the intentional killing of an
individual, and such killing results, shall be sentenced--
``(1) to a term of imprisonment of not less than 20 years
and up to life imprisonment; or
``(2) to death.''.
______
By Mr. CHAFEE (for himself, Mr. Baucus and Mr. Kennedy):
S. 797. A bill to amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize
the design and construction of additions to the parking garage and
certain site improvements, and for other purposes; to the Committee on
Environment and Public Works.
THE JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER PARKING IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1997
Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, today I introduce legislation to help
resolve the most serious problem identified by patrons and visitors of
the Kennedy Center--the lack of adequate on-site parking. Joining me
today as original cosponsors are: Senators Baucus and Kennedy.
This legislation provides authority to the Kennedy Center Board of
Trustees to construct an addition to the existing parking garage at
each of the north and south ends of the Center. Importantly, Mr.
President, the garage addition authorized in this bill will come at a
cost to the Federal Government. The project will be financed through
the issuance of industrial revenue bonds which will be repaid entirely
with revenue derived from operation of the expanded garage. Indeed, a
provision included in the legislation explicitly prohibits the use of
appropriated funds for the purpose of constructing or financing the
parking garage expansion.
Also included in the bill is authorization for the Center to take
action on site modifications for the improvement of security on the
site. The Center has conducted a complete security review, and among
the recommendations are changes to the main approach and plaza. This
legislation allows the Center to pursue site modifications for the
protection of the building and its visitors.
Consistent with the John F. Kennedy Center Act Amendments of 1994,
the Center's plans for the garage expansion and other related site
improvements will be developed in close consultation with the
Department of Interior. In fact, the National Park Service sent a
letter today to the president of the Kennedy Center, Mr. Lawrence J.
Wilker, conveying its approval of the conceptual plan for this project.
Mr. President, let me say that this proposal reflects the commitment
of the Kennedy Center trustees to continually improve this Presidential
monument for the benefit of the Public--in a manner that is financially
responsible. And indeed, the Center is an operation run in a
financially sound way.
A little-known fact about the Kennedy Center is that 90 percent of
the Center's annual operating income is derived from private sources.
The Federal Government provides only 10 percent of the Center's annual
operating income--and these Federal funds are carefully limited to
nonperformance activities. This legislation maintains that impressive
private-to-Federal funding ratio.
I am proud to serve as a trustee of the Kennedy Center, and commend
the board for its stewardship of this treasured asset--the national
center for the performing arts and living memorial to the late
President.
In closing, Mr. President, I want to thank Senators Baucus and
Kennedy for their help in drafting this bill. I look forward to working
with them and other colleagues to secure timely adoption of the
measure.
______
By Mr. WARNER:
S. 798. A bill to establish a Commission on Information Technology
Worker Shortage; to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources.
THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY WORKER SHORTAGE
ESTABLISHMENT ACT OF 1997
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the shortage of skilled workers is one of
the most critical issues facing the U.S. information technology [IT]
industry today. Our position as world leader in this industry is
threatened--not by technology--but by a shortage of necessary labor.
This issue is underscored by what we see in the want-ads every week:
thousands of high-paying jobs unfilled, because there are not enough
skilled applicants.
There is a shortage of nearly 200,000 workers nationwide. The
economic impact of this shortfall is being felt in every State and
congressional district across America.
Virginia, with its growing high-tech industry, is particularly hard
hit--it is currently estimated that 18,000 jobs are currently unfilled.
Technology-based businesses in Virginia number over 2,450, employ more
than 290,000 workers, and contribute more than $13.8 billion in wages
to the State's economy. At current rates of growth, by 2002 these
numbers are expected to jump to over 4,000 companies, employing about
330,000, with $22 billion in wages. The average technology sector
worker in Virginia earned $45,288 in 1996, compared to an average wage
of $26,608 in the Virginia economy as a whole. By 2002, the average
technology sector wage could grow to over $63,000.
By any measure, these are the jobs of the future. But unless our
workforce is educated and trained properly, these jobs will remain
unfilled or, worse yet, move to countries with the necessary qualified
people. This 2-5-million-person industry is projected to nearly double
in size by the year 2000. But its growth is being stunted by the
inability of firms to hire the talent that they need to expand.
Let me be clear: this problem is not confined to just high technology
companies and it is not limited to one region of the country. It
extends to any firm that depends on information technology employees to
expand its markets, reach its customers, or improve its products.
Education is a key component of the solution to this problem.
However, schools are not graduating enough qualified individuals to
meet the need. From 1986 to 1994, the number of bachelor degrees in
computer science, for example, fell 43 percent from 42,195 to 24,200.
As the Senate begins the reauthorization process for the Higher
Education Act of 1965 and the formulation of job training legislation,
I hope we will give particular emphasis to the impact that the shortage
of skilled technology workers is having on the economy, and recognize
the need to ensure that our work force is prepared for the next
century.
As cochair of the Senate Information Technology Caucus and a new
member of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, I want to
bring this matter to the attention of the Congress and the public, to
demonstrate the far-reaching implications this crisis will have on the
IT industry and the American economy as a whole.
We need to look at all options for addressing this problem. That is
why I am introducing legislation establishing a National Commission on
the Information Technology Worker Shortage. The Commission will be
comprised of industry leaders, educators, and government officials who
will study this issue and provide Congress with potential solutions.
The Commission will draw on the brightest minds and the best ideas to
craft the solutions necessary to encourage more students to enter
technical fields, to ensure that teachers and schools are equipped to
train them, and to incorporate the best private sector initiatives. The
Commission will report concrete legislative and administrative
recommendations to the President and to Congress within the year.
Mr. President, the Commission will provide the national focus and
attention that this problem demands. I hope my colleagues will join me
in supporting this initiative.
____________________