[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 77 (Wednesday, May 26, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S6046]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THE GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE

  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of 
a letter from the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, in 
support of my amendment to close the gun show loophole, be printed in 
the Record.
  There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                         International Brotherhood


                                           of Police Officers,

                                     Alexandria, VA, May 19, 1999.
     Hon. Frank Lautenberg,
     U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Lautenberg: The International Brotherhood of 
     Police Officers (IBPO) is an affiliate of the Service 
     Employees International. The IBPO is the largest police union 
     in the AFL-CIO.
       On behalf of the entire membership of the IBPO, I am 
     writing to express our support for your amendment that would 
     close the gun show loophole. Every year, there are 
     approximately 4,000 gun shows across the country where 
     criminals can buy guns without a background check. This 
     problem arises because while federally-licensed dealers sell 
     most of the firearms at these shows, about 25 percent of the 
     people selling firearms are not licensed and they are not 
     required to comply with the background check as mandated by 
     the Brady Law.
       The ``Lautenberg amendment'' will close the gun show 
     loophole and help law enforcement trace illegal firearms. The 
     police officer on the street understands that this 
     legislation is needed to help shut down the deadly supply of 
     firearms to violent criminals.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Kenneth T. Lyons,
     National President.

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