[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 25 (Friday, March 8, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S1704]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  THE IMPORTANCE OF ENFORCING GUN LAWS

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, sadly another gun tragedy occurred 
in my State this past Tuesday in Mount Pleasant, MI when three people 
were shot and killed allegedly by the ex-husband of one of them. 
According to a Detroit Free Press article, the man had a recent 
domestic violence conviction. This case illustrates the importance of 
closing the loopholes in our gun laws and preventing domestic violence 
offenders from owning firearms.
  According to a Violence Policy Center analysis, a woman is 14 times 
more likely to be murdered by a spouse, intimate acquaintance or close 
relative if there was a history of domestic violence. Having one or 
more guns in the home makes a woman more than seven times more likely 
to be the victim of homicide.
  Current law prohibits the possession of firearms by any person 
convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and prohibits the 
sale of any firearm or ammunition to a person convicted of domestic 
violence. But we have to do more to prevent women from being victims of 
gun violence.
  First, we must continue to fund the National Criminal History 
Improvement Program, which assists States in compiling criminal records 
and establishing identification systems for Brady gun background 
checks. In addition, we need to act now to close the gun show loophole 
and keep domestic abusers and other criminals from buying weapons at 
gun shows. These critical steps will help make America safer by 
ensuring that the criminal background information is accurate and 
accessible and make it tougher for those with a domestic violence 
conviction to obtain a firearm by easily bypassing a background 
check.

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