[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 127 (Monday, September 27, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1972]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




MOTION TO INSTRUCT CONFEREES ON H.R. 1501, JUVENILE JUSTICE REFORM ACT 
                                OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. CAROLYN C. KILPATRICK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 24, 1999

  Ms. KILPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, in the five months since the shooting of 
16 innocent high-school children at Columbine High School in a suburb 
of Denver, Colorado, over 500 American citizens have died as a result 
of gun violence. What has the Republican leadership in Congress done to 
address this problem? Absolutely nothing. What is worse, the motion 
offered by Congressman John Doolittle does even less. This motion, 
which says that anything during the conference of the Juvenile Justice 
bill that could possibly harm the Second Amendment to the Constitution 
should be rejected, is a terrible motion. It is terrible because 
Congress should protect our neighborhoods, our police departments, and 
the American people. This motion does protect one group of 
individuals--the gun lobby. I make no apologies for standing up for our 
neighborhoods, our police departments, or the citizens of the 15th 
Congressional District of Michigan.
  This motion does not protect our neighborhoods. Several Members of 
Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, have offered reasonable, 
sane, and safe recommendations regarding gun control. The issue of guns 
is one that cuts across the whole of America's fabric, but it 
especially harms minorities and urban areas--similar to the area which 
I am honored to serve. By limiting the options of Members to posit real 
and reasonable constitutional limits to control the glut of guns in our 
nation, this motion makes our neighborhoods unsafe. All we are asking 
is that gun dealers perform background checks, that child safety locks 
be sold on handguns, and that former criminals be prevented from buying 
guns.
  This motion does not protect our police departments. The Fraternal 
Order of Police Officers and the International Association of Police 
Chiefs have endorsed measures similar to the Brady law. These same 
organizations have both supported measures that would get rid of ``cop 
killer bullets'', assault weapons and high-powered rifles. This motion 
would, incredibly, not allow these measures to be considered by the 
conferees.
  This motion does not protect the Constitution. We have all sworn to 
protect and defend the Constitution. It is Congress' job to make laws; 
it is the job of the women and men of the Supreme Court to interpret 
the Constitution. We do not need to establish the precedent of ``pre-
interpreting'' the Constitution for the sake of a sound bite or 
political folly. This motion removes the option of interpreting the 
Constitution from the Judicial branch, presupposing that Members of 
Congress know what is best for the Constitution.
  I will continue to fight for our Constitution. I will continue to 
protect our children, our senior citizens, our neighborhoods, our 
police officers. I say no to the glut of guns on our streets and to the 
gun lobby. I urge my colleagues to say no to the Doolittle motion.

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