[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 57 (Wednesday, May 10, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E693]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    SUPPORT OF THE MILLION MOM MARCH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 10, 2000

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the Million Mom March. This 
weekend, mothers from across the nation will convene on the National 
Mall to put the U.S. Congress on notice that common sense gun policy--
specifically licensing and registration--is the will of the people.
  I stand beside and applaud these women. They and many of their 
families have been devastated by the unnecessary and preventable deaths 
of their children. Many of them have seen first hand the harrowing 
effects of too many massacres, too much heart break and too many 
tragedies, sometimes, even at the hands, of our children.
  We promised these moms and the American people common sense gun 
control legislation. We have not delivered on that promise. In fact, we 
have gone in the other direction--engaging in a war of words only. For 
more than two months now, the Congress has had an opportunity to act 
responsibly and at a minimum insist that the conferees to the Juvenile 
Justice bill meet immediately. Yet our Republican leadership refuses to 
assert their leadership and do the right thing.
  In my district, in Northern California, the Oakland City Council has 
taken a strong stance on gun control. They are putting human lives 
first by prohibiting the sale of compact hand guns, penalizing firearms 
``straw sales,'' and prohibiting people under the age of 18 from 
entering establishments that display firearms. Yet here in Congress we 
won't take even the minimum steps, such as requiring child safety 
trigger locks, to ensure the safety of our children.
  As a mother, I too feel that we can no longer afford to play partisan 
politics while so many children's lives remain at stake. All of the 
moms who will be in Washington, D.C. this weekend want results. They 
want us to do the right thing. They too want the Juvenile Justice 
Conferees to meet immediately and they want the Congress to deliver on 
its promise. Congress must pass common sense gun control legislation.

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