[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 9 (Thursday, February 7, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S481]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               MORE EVIDENCE THAT BACKGROUND CHECKS WORK

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, in 1994, the Congress passed the Brady Law, 
which requires Federal Firearm Licensees to perform criminal background 
checks on gun buyers. However, a loophole in this law allows unlicenced 
private gun sellers to sell firearms at gun shows without conducting a 
background check.
  In April of last year, Senator Reed introduced the Gun Show 
Background Check Act which would close this loophole in the law. The 
Reed bill, which is supported by the International Association of 
Chiefs of Police, extends the Brady Bill background check requirement 
to all sellers of firearms at gun shows. I cosponsored that bill 
because I believe it is critical that we do all we can to prevent guns 
from getting into the hands of criminals and terrorists. A recent 
report from Americans for Gun Safety demonstrates how successful the 
Brady law has been in this regard and why it is important to extend its 
provisions to firearms sales at gun shows.
  According to Bureau of Justice Statistics numbers cited in the AGS 
report, in 2000 alone, Brady bill background checks blocked more than 
153,000 felons and other illegal firearms purchasers from buying a gun. 
In addition, these checks were typically conducted without placing 
unreasonable burdens on gun buyers. According to the study, 72 percent 
of background checks were completed within minutes and 95 percent were 
completed within two hours. The study provides yet further evidence in 
support of common sense legislation to close the gun show loophole.

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