[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 86 (Thursday, June 17, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H4475]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    WHAT POLICY WILL MAKE US SAFER?

  (Mr. WYNN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WYNN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to talk about gun safety and to 
pose the question, What policy will make us safer? Today in Congress we 
will debate the issue of gun safety and, most importantly, closing the 
loophole with respect to gun shows. The issue will be this: Should we 
be allowed to do a 3-day background check on people who buy guns or 
should we have a watered-down version that only allows 24 hours?
  Law enforcement officials such as the FBI say they need 3 days 
because sometimes there are thousands of Johnsons and Smiths that they 
have to run through their computers.
  What will make us safer: Taking the 3 days to do a thorough 
background check so a felon or someone with mental instability does not 
get a gun, or rushing through for the sake of convenience and letting 
literally thousands of felons get guns?
  These gun shows do not occur at neighborhood arenas or fairgrounds. 
Oftentimes it is somebody in a pickup truck who shows his guns at a 
small community. There is nothing wrong with that, but they should have 
adequate background checks. We have an opportunity to do it today.
  Madam Speaker, I urge us to vote for sound, fair, sensible gun 
control.

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