[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 116 (Thursday, September 9, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10685-S10686]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 CONTINUING JUVENILE JUSTICE CONFERENCE

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today, the Department of Justice is 
releasing a report on the success of the National Instant Criminal 
Background Check System in keeping guns out of the hands of criminals. 
In its first seven months of operation, national background checks have 
stopped 100,000 felons, fugitives and other prohibited persons from 
getting guns from licensed firearms dealers.
  Unfortunately, it doesn't extend to all of the people who sell guns.
  There is a major gun show loophole. Congress has been unwilling to 
close that because of the opposition of the gun lobby, even though, 
incidentally, we passed a measure that did close that loophole several 
months ago in the Hatch-Leahy juvenile justice bill. Even though we 
closed it, we have yet to move forward on the juvenile justice 
conference report. It had been hoped and I think the American people 
hoped that we would complete the juvenile justice bill prior to school 
opening.
  I am hoping that we can complete it prior to Christmas vacation for 
schools, at the rate we have been going.
  I talked to a lot of gun dealers at home who say they have to obey 
the law, they have to fill out the forms, they have to report whether 
somebody tries to buy a gun illegally, and they ask why they have to 
compete with those who can take their station wagon to a weekend flea 
market and sell guns out of the back of it.
  This report is more concrete evidence that Congress should extend 
background checks to the sales of all firearms.
  I want to commend the nation's mayors and police chiefs for coming to 
Washington today to demand action on the juvenile justice conference.
  I hope the leadership in the Senate and the House will listen to what 
they said. I hope the majority will hear the call of our country's 
local officials and law enforcement officers to act now to pass a 
strong and effective juvenile justice conference report.
  I am one of the conferees on the juvenile justice bill. I am ready to 
work with Republicans and Democrats to pass a strong and effective 
juvenile justice conference report. I suspect most Americans, 
Republicans or Democrats, would like to see that. So far we have only 
had one meeting to resolve our differences. Even though we passed the 
Hatch-Leahy bill months ago, we have had only one conference meeting. 
In fact, that one meeting was 24 hours before we recessed for the 
August recess, almost guaranteeing there would be no more meetings.
  We haven't concluded our work. The fact is school started without 
Congress finishing its work, and I think that is wrong. We have 
overcome technical obstacles, we have overcome threatened filibusters, 
but now we find that everybody talks about how we should improve the 
juvenile justice system and everybody decries the easy availability of 
guns, but nobody wants to do anything about it.
  We spent 2 weeks, as I said, on the floor in May. We considered 
almost 50 amendments to the Senate juvenile justice bill. We made many 
improvements on the bill. We passed it by a huge bipartisan majority. 
Now I am beginning to wonder whether we were able to pass it because 
there was a private agreement that the bill would go nowhere.
  We need to do more to keep guns out of the hands of children who do 
not know how to use them or plan to use them to hurt others. Law 
enforcement officers in this country need our help.
  I am concerned that we are going to lose the opportunity for a well-
balanced juvenile justice bill--one that has strong support from the 
police, from the juvenile justice authorities, from those in the 
prevention community at all levels. We are going to lose this 
opportunity because one lobby is afraid there might be something in 
there they disagree with.
  I come from a State that has virtually no gun laws. I also come from 
a State that because of its nature that has extremely little crime. But 
I am asked by Vermonters every day when I am home, they say: Why has 
this bill been delayed? Aren't you willing to stand up to a powerful 
lobby? My answer so far has been, no; the Congress has not.
  Due to the delays in convening this conference and then its abrupt 
adjournment before completing its work, we knew before our August 
recess that the programs to enhance school safety and protect our 
children and families called for in this legislation would not be in 
place before school began.
  The fact that American children are starting school without Congress 
finishing its work on this legislation is wrong.
  We had to overcome technical obstacles and threatened filibusters to 
begin the juvenile justice conference. It is no secret that there are 
those in both bodies who would prefer no action and no conference to 
moving forward on the issues of juvenile violence and crime. Now that 
we have convened this conference, we should waste no more time to get 
down to business and finish our work promptly.
  Those of us serving on the conference and many who are not on the 
conference have worked on versions of this legislation for several 
years now. We spent two weeks on the Senate floor in May considering 
almost 50 amendments to S. 254, the Senate juvenile justice bill, and 
making many improvements to the underlying bill. We worked hard in the 
Senate for a strong bipartisan juvenile justice bill, and we should 
take this opportunity to cut through our remaining partisan differences 
to make a difference in the lives of our children and families.
  I appreciate that one of the most contentious issues in this 
conference is guns, even though sensible gun control proposals are just 
a small part of the comprehensive legislation we are considering. The 
question that the majority in Congress must answer is what are they 
willing to do to protect children from gun violence?
  A report released two months ago on juvenile violence by the Justice 
Department concludes that, ``data . . . indicate that guns play a major 
role in juvenile violence.'' We need to do more to keep guns out of the 
hands of children who do not know how to use them or plan to use them 
to hurt others.
  Law enforcement officers in this country need help in keeping guns 
out of the hands of people who should not have them. I am not talking 
about people who use guns for hunting or for sport, but about criminals 
and unsupervised children.
  An editorial that appeared yesterday in the Rutland Daily Herald 
summed up the dilemma in this juvenile justice conference for the 
majority:
  ``Republicans in Congress have tried to follow the line of the 
National Rifle Association. It will be interesting to see if they can 
hold that line when the Nation's crime fighters let them know that 
fighting crime also means fighting guns.''
  Every parent, teacher and student in this country was concerned this 
summer about school violence over the last two years and worried about 
when the next shooting may occur.
  They only hope it does not happen at their school or involve their 
children. This is an unacceptable and intolerable situation.
  We all recognize that there is no single cause and no single 
legislative solution that will cure the ill of youth violence in our 
schools or in our streets. But we have an opportunity before us to do 
our part. We should seize this opportunity to act on balanced, 
effective juvenile justice legislation, and measures to keep guns out 
of the hands of children and away from criminals.
  I hope we get to work soon and finish what we started in the juvenile 
justice conference. We are already tardy.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
  Mr. GRAMM. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

[[Page S10686]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The 
majority leader is recognized.

                          ____________________