[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 50 (Thursday, April 27, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2955-S2956]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THE JUVENILE JUSTICE BILL

  Mr. REED. Mr. President, for the last several days, we have been 
debating a victims' rights amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and that 
is an interesting and thoughtful debate. But I think we can do 
something else, which is try to prevent victims in the first place. We 
can do that by passing the juvenile justice bill, which contains 
sensible controls on handguns in this society.
  A few days ago we saw another incident involving a handgun at the 
National Zoo, a place we have recognized for decades as a source of 
solace and education and recreation in the Nation's Capital. But, in a 
moment, it was turned into a place of violence and terror because a 
young man, apparently with a handgun, shot several young people.
  The tragedy in this country is that each year 30,000 Americans die by 
gunfire. Every day, 12 children are killed by gunfire. We can stop that 
and we must stop that.
  The most recent incident is another indication that we have to act 
not someday but immediately. These seven children have been harmed and 
their families have been forever changed. This is a tragedy that they 
will live with, but it is a tragedy that we don't have to live with as 
a nation indefinitely.
  We took several appropriate and responsible steps after the Columbine 
shooting last year in which we passed legislation that would close the 
gun show loophole, require safety locks on handguns to prevent their 
use by children, and other measures. Yet these measures languish today 
in a conference committee that has met only once since last year, which 
is not seriously attempting to address the critical issues of violence 
in this country.
  Each day we wait, another incident takes place. Again, last year on 
the floor of the Senate as we debated the juvenile justice bill, if any 
of us had stood up and said a 6-year-old child would walk into first 
grade in America and shoot another 6 year old, some would have said it 
was hysterical demagoging.
  That happened. If anybody said that on a Sunday or a weekday 
afternoon at the National Zoo random gunfire would break out and seven 
children would be shot down, we would be accused of hysterical 
demagoguery. It happened.
  We can prevent this, and we should, by acting promptly to pass the 
juvenile justice bill with those provisions included. Many in the 
Congress call for stricter enforcement of handgun laws. I agree with 
that. We should enforce the laws. But the reality is that we have to 
prevent these incidents rather than, after the fact, arresting people.
  It is against the law in the District of Columbia to possess a 
handgun, as it was possessed, apparently, by this young man. But the 
District of Columbia is not an island. It is a metropolitan area 
between other States that have much less strict gun control laws. 
Virginia, for example, is a State which is a shell-issue State. That 
means that practically any person who is not a felon can carry a 
concealed weapon with a license and without showing a special need to 
do so.

  Private sales of handguns, including gun show sales, are common 
throughout Virginia, and there you can in fact buy a weapon without a 
background check if you are buying from an unlicensed gun dealer. There 
is no waiting period in Virginia to buy a handgun. Now there is a law 
that prevents the purchase of more than one handgun a month, and that 
is good because it prevents trafficking in firearms. But it

[[Page S2956]]

only takes one gun to do the kind of damage we saw a few days ago at 
the National Zoo.
  We all agree that enforcement is important. We look forward to and 
applaud the local authorities who apprehended the young suspect. He 
will be tried and the law will be imposed and enforced. But, once 
again, prevention perhaps could have prevented this violence or other 
violence throughout the United States.
  On this 1-year anniversary of Columbine, we should be doing something 
more than simply sitting and waiting for that conference report. We 
should be demanding, as we have in the past on this floor, that 
conferees meet, vote, and send us back this measure, including all 
those strict gun control provisions. This Senate went on record by a 
vote of 53-47 to take that very position. I hope that vote will 
energize and activate the conferees and that they will move immediately 
to send this provision to the President for signature.
  Within that bill, there are resources for the types of prevention and 
enforcement that we need with respect to juveniles. Twenty-five percent 
of the $250 million distributed annually on the juvenile accountability 
block grant program would be dedicated to prevention to the gun lobby. 
In addition, the conference report would include, I hope, child safety 
locks, an amendment to firmly close the gun show loophole, a ban on the 
importation of high-capacity ammunition clips, and a ban on the sale of 
semiautomatic weapons. It is time now to prevent, if we can, the 
violence that we have witnessed and, sadly, the violence that happens 
every day.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois is recognized.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, it is my understanding that the morning 
business allocation ends at 10:30. I ask unanimous consent I be allowed 
to speak until the conclusion of that morning business and then to 
continue speaking for such period of time as I may consume.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning business does not conclude at 10:30. 
The time allotted to the Senator from Illinois concludes at 10:30.
  The Senator from Illinois is recognized.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I seek recognition until 10:30, and I ask 
unanimous consent that I may continue speaking beyond that in morning 
business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DURBIN. I thank the Chair.

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