[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 86 (Thursday, June 17, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7208-S7209]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     WHO CALLS THE SHOTS ON CAPITOL HILL, THE GUN LOBBY OR AVERAGE 
                               AMERICANS?

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I want to briefly talk about another 
issue, because it is pending in the House at this time and I think it 
is very important to talk about the gun control issue.
  Last month, the day before the Senate voted to close the gun show 
loophole, a prominent Republican Senator made a prediction. He said it 
really did not matter how the Senate voted, because the House would 
water down any gun restrictions we pass.
  That is what was predicted. The gun lobby and its supporters in the 
House have now made good on that threat. But even though we were 
warned, we are still stunned that the power of one lobbyist 
organization can be so demonstrably effective as they appear to have 
been thus far.
  The gun lobby's approach to gun control in the Senate was a sham. It 
is a sham in the House. The first House Republican leadership 
announcement was that they would divide the juvenile bill into two 
separate bills: one focusing on youth crime and culture, the other on 
gun control.

  We all recognize what that announcement was. It was a move to dilute 
or even kill the modest gun control measures that had passed in the 
Senate just a few short weeks ago. Now the House Republican leadership 
has decided not to bring its sham bill to the floor of the House until 
8 o'clock tonight, well after the evening news. I think we know why. 
The pro-gun forces clearly do not want the American public to know what 
is going to happen after 8 o'clock tonight.
  It may be after 8 o'clock tonight when the House begins its gun 
debate, but it is certainly high noon for those of us who care about 
this issue. It is time we find out who is going to win

[[Page S7209]]

this showdown: the gun lobby or the American people.
  Littleton, CO, marked a turning point for most Americans, and now we 
will find out if it marked a turning point for the pro-gun forces on 
Capitol Hill--or if it is just business as usual. Are we going to make 
it harder for children and criminals to get guns--or easier? Is it as 
dramatic a moment, is it as clear a choice as many of us in the Senate 
believe it is?
  Today, we are warning those who are about to vote in the House: The 
gun lobby tried every excuse and half-measure they could come up with 
to defeat the modest restrictions in the Senate, and they failed.
  Why? Because we know what America wants. America wants to close the 
gun show loophole. Sham proposals that do not cover all gun shows and 
allow criminals to get guns are not enough. Weak measures that only 
allow 24--or even 72 hours--are not enough. Law enforcement must have 
up to three business days to complete background checks, when 
necessary, to make sure that guns do not end up in the hands of 
criminals. Nothing less is acceptable.
  The gun lobby says it is, but I guarantee that any family who has 
lost a child to gun violence will disagree. Listen to your conscience 
and your constituents, not to the extremist wing of the gun lobby.
  I come from gun country. Most South Dakotans feel pretty strongly 
about guns. They are part of our culture, our heritage. I have owned a 
gun since I was 8 years old. But even in South Dakota, the vast 
majority of people believe we need to do more to keep guns out of the 
hands of children and criminals.
  Tonight, the House of Representatives has a chance to build on the 
conscientious proposals that passed in the Senate. It is a narrow 
window of opportunity for Congress to act in a way that will make a 
real difference for our children and for our communities. Let us 
listen, let us stop the maneuvering, let us do something now. Tonight 
is the night. Mr. President, 8 o'clock, 9 o'clock, 1 o'clock, 3 
o'clock, it does not matter. Do the right thing. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.

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