[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 30 (Thursday, March 16, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H1115]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 LET US STOP THE RHETORIC AND PASS REAL GUN SAFETY LEGISLATION FOR ALL 
                               OF AMERICA

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, yesterday in listening to 
Susan Wilson, who lost her daughter, lost her child in Jonesboro, by 
the terrible and tragic use of a gun, it reemphasized the importance 
that we in this Congress lower any debate that is political and focus 
on getting the task done. That is why I believe the conference 
committee should meet; and that is why I believe the legislation that I 
offered last evening, the Child Gun Safety and Gun Access Prevention 
Act of 2000, is a comprehensive gun safety proposal that we should 
address.
  My legislation will protect children not only by raising the age of 
handgun eligibility and prohibiting youth from possessing semiautomatic 
assault weapons but by enhancing the penalties for those adults who 
recklessly disregard the risk that a child is capable of gaining access 
to a firearm.
  We did it in Houston. We did it in Texas and it works. Parents and 
supervising adults must be held responsible for their children when 
their household contains dangerous firearms. This legislation also 
proposes penalty for youth possession of handguns and semi-automatic 
assault weapons, as well as the transfer of such weapons to youth and 
provides school districts with incentives, Mr. Speaker, to have gun 
safety prevention programs.
  We are losing lives. Let us stop the rhetoric and pass real gun 
safety legislation for all of America.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the current Juvenile Justice 
legislation already passed by the Senate.
  The American people have waited long enough for us to act on this 
legislation. We can no longer delay and wait for the next tragedy in 
order to take action.
  It is imperative that we act now and not allow Republican leaders to 
dismantle the vital gun safety provisions contained within the current 
Juvenile Justice bill.
  Simply passing a bill without any gun safety provisions would be 
irresponsible and a terrible mistake on the part of this Congress.
  We must let the American people know that we are not afraid to take 
the steps necessary to enact responsible legislation.
  We cannot allow the NRA to determine how this Congress acts at the 
expense of our children.
  Today, I support Senator Daschle's past statement that the Juvenile 
Justice bill, which concerns access to guns and was adopted by both the 
Senate and the House, should move forward.
  Furthermore, I support his belief that if the Juvenile Justice bill 
does not go to conference; each Member of Congress should file 
independent bills until safe legislation is adopted.
  I am taking the initiative by announcing, my legislation which would 
increase youth gun safety. My bill ``The Child Gun Safety and Gun 
Access Prevention Act of 2000,'' is a comprehensive gun safety 
proposal.
  My legislation will protect children not only by raising the age of 
handgun eligibility and prohibiting youth from possessing semiautomatic 
assault weapons, but by enhancing the penalties for those adults who 
recklessly disregards the risk a child is capable of gaining access to 
a firearm. Parents and supervising adults must be held responsible for 
their children when their household contains dangerous firearms.
  This legislation also proposes an enhanced penalty for youth 
possession of handguns and semiautomatic assault weapons, as well as, 
the transfer of such weapons to youth. Furthermore, children will be 
required to be accomplished by a parent when attending gun shows. 
Finally, as a preventative measure, my legislation encourages each 
school district to provide or participate in a firearms safety program.
  Through enhanced penalties for reckless supervising adults, gun 
safety education programs and limitations on the admittance of children 
into gun shows, my legislation seeks to prevent tragedies like the one 
that most recently occurred in Mount Morris Township, MI. This child 
shooting is the latest in a series of preventable shootings that 
occurred as a result of adults recklessly leaving firearms in the 
presence of children.
  It is a shame that political maneuvering is still stalling even a 
nonbinding resolution like Senator Boxer's that simply supports child 
gun safety legislation. Yet, I would like to say how delighted I was to 
hear of Senator Durbin's amendment that would offer more funding for 
providing gun safety education.
  In the past few weeks my office has received many calls and letters 
from constituents who believe that we support legislation that will 
take away their guns.
  It is obvious that the propaganda machine of the National Riffle 
Association is working to change our focus from the issue of children 
and guns and gun ownership in general. Like many of my colleagues, I do 
not oppose responsible gun ownership.
  However, like President Clinton, I am concerned about children and 
their access to guns. I am concerned that guns are not regulated in the 
same way that toys are regulated. I am concerned that we do not have 
safety standards for locking devices on guns. I am concerned that we do 
not prohibit children from attending gun shows unsupervised. I am 
concerned that we have not focused on the statistics on children and 
guns.
  This motion to instruct urges the conferees to act immediately on the 
Juvenile Justice bill. We cannot wait for another tragedy to occur. I 
urge my colleagues to support this motion.

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