[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 123 (Thursday, October 5, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H8815]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               APPROVE COMMONSENSE GUN SAFETY LEGISLATION

  (Mrs. McCARTHY of New York asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, the clock is ticking and soon 
the 106th Congress may adjourn without passing common sense gun safety 
legislation. Today, we join people throughout the Nation concerned 
about young people and gun violence.
  Earlier this week, I joined the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. 
Gephardt), the minority leader, and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Conyers) in calling on the gentleman from Illinois (Speaker Hastert) to 
use his influence to complete work on the stalled Juvenile Justice 
Conference.
  With the help of the gentleman from Illinois (Speaker Hastert), we 
can jumpstart the conference to approve child safety locks, to close 
the gun show loophole and to ban high-capacity ammunition clips. I am 
pleased that Senator John McCain has endorsed closing the gun show 
loophole.
  Governor Pataki has already brought common sense gun laws to my home 
State of New York. We need to bring similar legislation to all 50 
States. Is there grassroots support for this legislation? You bet.
  The Million Mom March demonstrated that people across the Nation want 
to make their communities safe from gun violence. Just this week, 
college students around the Nation participated in First Monday 2000. I 
am pleased that students from Long Island's Hofstra University 
participated in this grassroots educational issue.
  To date, the gun lobby has prevented the Congress from approving 
national gun safety legislation. We do not have to repeat the past. I 
ask the gentleman from Illinois (Speaker Hastert) to consider this.

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