[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 107 (Wednesday, September 13, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H7544-H7545]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             MILLION MOM MARCH AND COMMON SENSE GUN SAFETY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Sherwood). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, the clock is ticking. The clock is ticking and 
this Congress has yet to hear the message delivered by the one million 
mothers on May 14 of this year.
  An extraordinary thing happened this past Mother's Day when so many 
New Jerseyans joined families from all over the United States in the 
``Million Mom March'' here in Washington.
  Now, all of us know it, Mr. Speaker. Over the last years, our Nation 
has been shaken deeply by incidents of gun violence. All of us were 
floored by the tragedy in a Michigan elementary school where a 6-year-
old child, a child who had not yet learned to read, had learned how to 
kill with a handgun.
  That was just the latest in a long line of gun-related tragedies. We 
know the litany. Columbine, West Paducah, Jonesboro, Conyers, and in 
too many other communities across America. These have been matched by 
countless other gun tragedies less public but no less tragic for their 
families and their communities all across the Nation.
  In school yards, what would have a generation ago been a fist fight 
now becomes a blood bath. Since these tragedies, citizens all across my 
State of New Jersey have called louder than ever for passage of 
stricter gun safety laws. But despite the outcry, a few politicians in 
Congress here in Washington have stood in the doorway, have blocked 
reform, refusing to act on common sense gun safety proposals like those 
that the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy) and I are sponsoring 
here in the House of Representatives.
  On August 26, I was joined by my colleague and good friend, the 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy), for a public meeting in 
Plainsboro, New Jersey. The gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy) 
and I were joined at that event by 66 families who once again called on 
this body to act on sensible gun safety legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to read into the Record a letter to the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert), the Speaker of the House, signed 
by the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy), myself, and 66 
families who joined us in Plainsboro, which I will personally deliver 
to the Speaker this evening.

       Mr. Speaker, as concerned citizens of the State of New 
     Jersey, we are writing to request your immediate assistance 
     in having Congress consider gun safety legislation before 
     Congress adjourns for the year.
       As you know, in June of 1999, following the tragic murders 
     at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, Congress 
     considered a package of juvenile justice proposals. When this 
     legislation was considered in the Senate, an amendment by 
     Senator Frank Lautenberg was attached that would close the 
     dangerous gun show loophole, ban the importation of high-
     capacity ammunition magazines, and mandate the use of child 
     safety locks on firearms.
       These three proposals, which have been introduced in the 
     House of Representatives, are mainstream, common sense 
     measures that polls show are supported by a large bipartisan 
     majority of the public. While we in New Jersey do not have 
     gun shows, other States do. That undermines our gun safety 
     laws because they allow criminals to buy dangerous firearms 
     without background checks, waiting periods or identification 
     at these shows. A law mandating child safety locks, if 
     enacted, could save the lives of hundreds of young Americans.
       Many of us visited Washington, D.C., as part of the 
     ``Million Mom March'' this Spring.

  And, I might add, I made that trip by bus from New Jersey, too.

       In the many weeks since that watershed event, attended by 
     thousands of Americans from all parts of the Nation and all 
     walks of life, no effort has been made to bring the Juvenile 
     Justice legislation back before the House. In fact, these 
     measures have remained bottled up with delay tactics and 
     parliamentary maneuvering. Now, as less than 20 days remain 
     in the scheduled legislative session, the need for leadership 
     and action on this issue is greater than ever.
       Stemming the tide of gun violence is an issue of deep 
     importance to us and to our Nation. Now is the time for our 
     leaders in Washington to roll up their sleeves, not sit on 
     their hands. We urge you in the strongest possible terms to 
     use your influence as the highest ranking Member of the House 
     of Representatives to bring immediately these legislative 
     proposals back before the Congress so that they can be sent 
     to the President for his signature.

[[Page H7545]]

  ``Respectfully,'' and it is signed by 66 family members from central 
New Jersey.
  Mr. Speaker, I include the letter for the Record:
                                                  August 26, 2000.
     Hon. J. Dennis Hastert,
     Speaker of the House,
     U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Speaker: As concerned citizens of the State of New 
     Jersey, we are writing to request your immediate assistance 
     in having Congress consider gun safety legislation before it 
     adjourns for the year.
       As you know, in June of 1999, following the tragic murders 
     at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, Congress 
     considered a package of Juvenile Justice proposals. When this 
     legislation was considered in the Senate, an amendment by 
     Senator Frank Lautenberg was attached that would close the 
     dangerous gun show loophole, ban the importation of high-
     capacity ammunition magazines and mandate the use of child 
     safety locks on firearms.
       These three proposals, which have also been introduced in 
     the House of Representatives, are mainstream, common sense 
     measures that polls show are supported by a large, bipartisan 
     majority of the public. While we in New Jersey don't have gun 
     shows, other states do. That undermines our gun safety laws 
     because they allow criminals to buy dangerous firearms 
     without background checks, waiting periods or identification 
     at these shows. A law mandating child safety locks, if 
     enacted, could save the lives of hundreds of young Americans.
       Many of us visited Washington D.C. as part of the ``Million 
     Mom March'' this Spring. In the many weeks since that 
     watershed event, attended by thousands of Americans from all 
     parts of the nation and all walks of life, no effort has been 
     made to bring the Juvenile Justice legislation back before 
     Congress. In fact, these measures have remained bottled up 
     with delay tactics and parliamentary maneuvering. Now, as 
     less than twenty days remain in the scheduled legislative 
     session, the need for leadership and action on this issue is 
     greater than ever.
       Stemming the tide of gun violence is an issue of deep 
     importance to us, and to our nation. Now is the time for our 
     leaders in Washington to roll up their sleeves, not sit on 
     their hands. We urge you in the strongest possible terms to 
     use your influence as the highest-ranking member of the House 
     of Representatives to immediately bring these legislative 
     proposals back before Congress, so that they can be sent to 
     the President for his signature.
           Respectfully,
       Signed by 66 New Jersey citizens.

  Mr. Speaker, every school I visit, every PTA meeting that I attend, 
every classroom that I teach in, kids, moms and dads, in fact nearly 
everyone I talk with in New Jersey, tells me it is high time that 
Congress take action to keep guns out of the hands of kids and 
criminals.
  Mr. Speaker, the time has come for Republicans, Democrats, and 
Independents to join together to pass these common sense gun safety 
measures.

                          ____________________