[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 47 (Thursday, April 13, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S2706]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                    THE JUVENILE JUSTICE CONFERENCE

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I am disappointed that the majority 
continues to refuse to reconvene the conference on juvenile justice 
legislation.
  This Congress has kept the country waiting far too long for action on 
juvenile justice legislation and sensible gun safety laws. We are fast 
approaching the first-year anniversary of the shooting at Columbine 
High School in Littleton, Colorado. Next Thursday will sadly mark one 
year since fourteen students and a teacher lost their lives in that 
tragedy on April 20, 1999.
  It has been 11 months since the Senate passed the Hatch-Leahy 
juvenile justice bill by an overwhelming vote of 73-25. Our bipartisan 
bill includes modest yet effective gun safety provisions. It has been 
10 months since the House of Representatives passed its own juvenile 
crime bill on June 17, 1999. It has been 9 months since the House and 
Senate juvenile justice conference met for the first--and only--time on 
August 5, 1999, less than 24 hours before the Congress adjourned for 
its long August recess.
  Senate and House Democrats have been ready for months to reconvene 
the juvenile justice conference and work with Republicans to craft an 
effective juvenile justice conference report that includes reasonable 
gun safety provisions, but the majority refuses to act. Indeed, on 
October 20, 1999, all the House and Senate Democratic conferees wrote 
to Senator Hatch, the Chairman of the juvenile justice conference, and 
Congressman Hyde, the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, to 
reconvene the conference immediately. This week, Congressman Hyde 
joined our call for the juvenile justice conference to meet as soon as 
possible in a letter to Senator Hatch, which was also signed by 
Congressman Conyers.
  Every parent, teacher and student in this country is concerned 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.
  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.
  It is ironic that the Senate will be in recess next week on the 
anniversary of the Columbine tragedy. In fact, the Senate has been in 
recess more than in session since the one ceremonial meeting of the 
juvenile crime conference committee. I hope we get to work soon and 
finish what we started in the juvenile justice conference. It is well 
past the time for Congress to act.
  I ask unanimous consent that this Hyde-Conyers letter of April 11, 
2000 be printed in the Record at the conclusion of my remarks.
  There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

         House of Representatives, Congress of the United States, 
           Committee on the Judiciary,
                                   Washington, DC, April 11, 2000.
     Hon. Orrin G. Hatch,
     Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. Senate, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Hatch: We write to request a juvenile justice 
     conference meeting as soon as possible.
       As you are aware, in the last two months, we have witnessed 
     a succession of gun violence tragedies. We have been shocked 
     by a six-year-old shooting a six-year-old in Mount Morris 
     Township, Michigan. We have seen a nursing home held hostage 
     and a mass shooting in Pittsburgh. In February, Memphis 
     firefighters responding to a call were shot and killed by a 
     disturbed man. It is clear that the Nation would like 
     Congress to respond.
       We know that there is not complete agreement on all of the 
     issues before the Conference. We also recognize the need for 
     compromise. We have already agreed in principle to proposed 
     language to reduce the waiting period to 24 hours in most 
     cases, but are still trying to resolve appropriate ``safety 
     hatch'' exceptions.
       We have pledged to each other to begin anew negotiations. 
     We believe, however, that beginning the work of the 
     Conference will play a constructive role in the necessary 
     process of narrowing our differences.
       We appreciate your consideration of this request.
           Sincerely,
     Henry J. Hyde,
                              Chairman, House Judiciary Committee.
     John Conyers, Jr.,
     Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee.

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