[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 25 (Tuesday, March 2, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H729]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H729]]
                    EXTENSION OF ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, today over in the Senate, our 
colleagues are having a debate on basically assault weapons to 
certainly make sure that we renew that by September 13 and also making 
sure that we close the loopholes in the gun shows.
  Mr. Speaker, the NRA today, once again, reached into their bag of 
tricks to kill a bill it actually supported. Earlier the Senate had 
voted to add two commonsense gun safety measures to the gun industry 
liability bill. One would extend the ban on assault weapons. The other 
would close the gun show loophole bill. Because of this, the NRA said, 
Jump, and its supporters in the Senate said, How high?
  It marked a triumph of special interests in this country. Our 
Nation's police officers have worked hard to keep assault weapons off 
our streets. That is why Congress must revisit the assault weapons ban 
without attaching special interest handouts. Otherwise, assault weapons 
will go back onto America's streets in 195 days. That is the good news 
for terrorists and cop-killing criminals. That is the good news for 
drug dealers. That is the good news for the gangs that are across our 
country. Unfortunately, it is bad news for America's families and 
communities and police officers.
  Since I took the floor in the House 1 week ago, 400 more Americans 
have died from gun violence; but instead of a sense of urgency, the 
House has stood idly by. Some seem content to let the assault weapons 
ban expire on September 13, the ban that has kept us safer for the last 
10 years.
  It has also respected the rights of gun owners, protecting the 
hunting rifles, shotguns, and pistols favored by law-abiding citizens. 
We do not have problems with people owning guns, but gun owners need to 
take responsibility on making sure certain guns do not get onto the 
street.
  Only criminals have been kept from their gun of choice. This explains 
why 66 percent of gun owners support renewing the ban. The American 
people support it by even more overwhelming margins. Once again, our 
Nation's law enforcement officers are leading the fight to keep assault 
weapons, making sure that they are not back on our streets.
  But today, I want to highlight one notable flaw in the assault 
weapons ban. A loophole in the law has allowed gun makers to create 
hundreds of copycat weapons. The MAC-10, this gun right here, has 
become the MPA-10. The AK-47 has clones, so many of them, they are too 
numerous to count. Cosmetically altering the TEC-9, for example, has 
resulted in the fully legal AB-10. Cosmetically. This is what the gun 
manufacturers are allowed to do. The A-B, by the way, stands for 
``after ban,'' but one can see they almost look identical.
  Another weapon advertised for its ability to circumvent the law is 
the Bushmaster XM-15. People might remember this gun. This was the gun 
used by the D.C. snipers. Residents of D.C. and across this country 
know what that weapon was able to do. During October 2002, the snipers 
used the gun to kill 10 people and wound three others. Bushmaster's 
slogan for the gun, ``The Best--by a long shot,'' provided deadly 
accuracy for those in its cross-hairs.
  I came to Congress to fight for gun safety. I have fought for 
commonsense, effective measures, which is why I have introduced H.R. 
2038, which would renew the ban, while closing these particular gaping 
holes.
  Let us face it, you cannot tell me that the American people want to 
see these particular guns back on the streets. You cannot tell me that 
you want to have our police officers coming across the drug dealer, the 
terrorists that possibly might be in this country, to come across 
these.
  Another fact, by the way: our police officers have to wear special 
armor. These guns can go through that armor.
  I came here 10 years ago when I was not in Congress to make sure that 
this bill went through, and now it is time for the American people to 
realize the power that they have. People always say they have no voice 
in government. Well, you can have a voice; but you have to call your 
representative here in Congress. You have to start calling the Senate 
again. You have to call the Speaker of the House and allow the bill to 
come up for a vote. We are told that it is not going to be able to come 
up for a vote. That is wrong, when the American people want to make 
sure this does not happen again.

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