[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 41 (Wednesday, April 5, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H1769]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               GUN SAFETY

  (Ms. CARSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. CARSON. Mr. Speaker, every day across this country, our children 
are dying due to gun violence. Yet, Congress has failed to stop the 
killing and protect our children.
  Over 2 weeks ago, the House went on record in support of the juvenile 
justice conference committee holding a meeting within 2 weeks. Their 
deadline has been ignored.
  I am outraged that Congress has failed to move forward on gun safety 
legislation. How many more children have to die before we pass strong 
preventative child gun legislation?
  My bill, H.R. 515, the Child Handgun Injury Prevention Act, which I 
introduced in the first session of this Congress, is a bill to prevent 
children from injuring themselves with handguns.
  If enacted, this bill would require child-safety devices on handguns 
and establish standards and testing procedures for those devices. As of 
today, we have 76 cosponsors.
  We cannot call ourselves ethical leaders when we stand by and do 
nothing while our children are being killed by gun violence. We have a 
moral responsibility to pass laws that protect our schools, our 
communities, and our families, a great act on our part prior to 
Mother's Day.

                          ____________________