[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 87 (Friday, June 18, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S7264]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               GUN CRIME COMMITTED BY 18 TO 20 YEAR OLDS

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, this week, Vice President Gore released a 
new study focusing on the connection between young adults and gun 
crimes. This report, jointly prepared by the Departments of Treasury 
and Justice, documents an alarmingly high rate of gun violence among 18 
to 20 year olds.
  The report shows that while 18, 19, and 20 years olds make up only 4 
percent of the U.S. population, they commit an astounding 24 percent of 
gun murders in our country. In addition, the report shows that 18 year 
olds commit 35 percent more gun murders than 21 year olds; double the 
gun murders of 24 year olds; triple the gun murders of 28 year olds; 
and four times the gun murders of 30 year olds.
  There are several loopholes in our current firearms laws that permit 
young people access to handguns and other deadly weapons. We must close 
those loopholes, especially for the 18 to 20 year olds, who contribute 
to such a high percentage of gun crimes. One of those loopholes allows 
18 to 20 year olds, minors, to purchase handguns from unlicensed 
dealers, private collectors or friends, even though it would be illegal 
for them to purchase the same handgun from a federally licensed dealer.
  There are also additional loopholes in federal law that permit 18 to 
20 year olds to purchase semiautomatic weapons and large capacity 
ammunition feeding devices from anyone willing to sell them. These 
weapons, such as AK-47s and Uzis, and the 50 rounds per minute clips 
that accompany them, are not the type of weapons needed for hunting, 
they are the type needed for killing, and that is what they are too 
often used for.
  There is strong precedent for imposing minimum age requirements for 
engaging in dangerous activities. Congress and the states worked 
together in the past to minimize public safety concerns by ensuring 
that states raised their legal drinking ages to 21. This was in 
response to evidence that young adults were involved in proportionately 
far more driving accidents while intoxicated. Increasing the age 
requirement for drinking alcohol, reduced automobile accidents 
dramatically. And, in the first year after Michigan raised its drinking 
age from 18 to 21, there was a 21 percent decline in alcohol related 
deaths among drivers age 18 to 20.
  Most recently, a report to be released today by a national commission 
studying the impact of gambling will apparently recommend that the 
minimum age for all forms of gambling be raised to 21. Although 
currently most casinos require gamblers to be 21, other forms of 
gambling, such as state lotteries have an age requirement of 18. The 
National Gambling Impact Study Commission contends that there should be 
tighter restrictions on state lotteries and other forms of betting 
because of the dangers and risks of excessive gambling.
  Surely if there are clear and compelling reasons to prevent young 
people from drinking and gambling, there are even better reasons, as 
documented by the Gore report, to prevent 18, 19 and 20 year olds from 
owning an assault weapon or a handgun. I am a cosponsor of legislation 
introduced by Senator Schumer, S. 891, that would prohibit the sale or 
transfer of these weapons to young adults as well as prohibit 
possession of these weapons by those under 21, while maintaining 
exemptions under current law. In my judgment, it is critical that 
Congress act quickly to close these loopholes.

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