[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 163 (Wednesday, November 17, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S14692]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          UNDER THE INFLUENCE

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, in July, when the Senate debated the 
Commerce, Justice, State, and Judiciary fiscal year 2000 spending bill, 
an important amendment was adopted to the bill. That amendment, offered 
by my colleague Senator Boxer, would have made it illegal to sell or 
transfer firearms or ammunition to anyone under the influence of 
alcohol. Unfortunately, the House-Senate conference committee, in 
working out the differences between the two versions of this spending 
measure, removed the Senate-passed amendment from the final bill.
  I do not understand how something so simple, so straightforward, 
could be deleted from the final bill. This amendment does nothing more 
than save lives and prevent injuries by prohibiting drunks from buying 
guns or ammunition. Under current law, it is illegal to sell firearms 
or ammunition to a purchaser under the influence of illicit drugs. This 
would simply close the loophole by making it illegal for someone under 
the influence of alcohol to purchase the same products.
  It is unconscionable that House and Senate conferees deleted this 
common-sense provision from the bill. Unfortunately, this is just 
another example of how reasonable legislation is repeatedly stymied by 
the power of the NRA.

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