[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 77 (Wednesday, May 26, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H3613]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               WHY WAIT TO DEBATE GUN SAFETY LEGISLATION?

  (Ms. DeLAURO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Republican leadership 
announced that it was willing to bring gun safety legislation to the 
floor of the House in mid June.
  After a week of wrangling and stalling, I applaud their decision to 
join the Democrats to discuss fair and sensible measures that will in 
fact save children's lives. But why are we waiting? There is not a 
reason to put off until tomorrow actions that will reduce the chances 
of tragedy today.

                              {time}  1030

  Why do American parents have to wait, when they are so scared? I 
quote to my colleagues from USA Today. ``Slightly more than half of 
parents with school-aged children say they fear for their children's 
safety when they are at school, up from 37 percent 1 year ago.''
  Parents in this country need to know that this body is willing to 
act, willing to act quickly to allay their fears and not make them 
fearful to send their children to school every single day. That is not 
what the United States is all about.
  Why are we stalling the American public? Do we want the additional 
time to give the NRA the opportunity to twist arms? Measures like this 
will pass this House in a heartbeat. Let us do it, let us do it in the 
next 2 days.

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