[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 87 (Friday, June 18, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1340]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                MANDATORY GUN SHOW BACKGROUND CHECK ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 17, 1999

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2122) to 
     require background checks at gun shows, and for other 
     purposes:

  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Chairman, guns are out of control.
  Tonight, this House should not turn a deaf ear to the families and 
victims of Littleton, Colorado.
  This Congress should strengthen the bipartisan Brady Bill by passing 
the McCarthy amendment to expand background checks to gun shows.
  Five and a half years ago, this body debated the Brady Bill.
  The gun lobby and its supporters in this body said it wouldn't work. 
It wouldn't work, they said, because criminals didn't buy their guns in 
stores.
  Well, they were wrong.
  Since that time, over 400,000 illegal gun sales were prevented.
  Thanks to the Brady Bill, 400,000 fewer guns are on our streets and 
in the hands of criminals.
  Thankfully, we will never know how many lives would have been lost if 
those guns had been sold. We will never know how many children would 
have died if this Congress have failed to take action and pass the 
Brady Bill.
  Mr. Chairman, some have suggested that the waiting period should be 
changed from three business days to only 24 or 72 hours. But the vast 
majority of gun buyers complete their checks in a few hours. It is only 
those who are convicted of felony charges, or have a record of domestic 
violence or drug abuse who are denied their guns, and we need those 
extra days to conduct a thorough check.
  So now, when the NRA comes back to Congress to argue that we 
shouldn't close the gun-show loophole, that we shouldn't subject gun 
buyers at gun shows to the same background check as gun buyers in 
stores, I urge my colleagues not to be swayed by their deception.
  If we accomplish nothing else in the name of gun safety, we must 
close the gun-show loophole.
  I applaud my colleague from New York for her courage and her 
determination, and I urge my colleagues to support the McCarthy 
amendment, and Mr. Conyers' substitute.

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