[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 16, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H1097]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          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, this past weekend Deputy 
Jason Scott of Tennessee was killed by a 16-year-old barricaded in his 
home with semiautomatic weapons with 30-round magazines. This must 
stop. One in five law enforcement officers slain in the line of duty is 
killed with an assault weapon. 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 be back on our streets 
September 14. That is in 181 days. That is good news for terrorists, 
cop killers, drug dealers and the terrorists that live among us here in 
our country. Unfortunately, it is bad news for America's families and 
police officers.
  Since I took the floor a week ago tonight, over 400 Americans have 
died in this country from gun violence. But instead of the sense of 
urgency that we should do something about it, the House has stood idly 
by. Some seem content to let the assault weapons ban expire on 
September 13. The ban 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. 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 numbers.
  Once again our Nation's law enforcement officers are leading the 
fight to keep assault weapons off our streets. Before the ban, assault 
weapons were only 1 percent of privately owned guns but nearly 9 
percent of all guns used in crimes. Following the ban's enactment, 
there were 18 percent fewer assault weapons traced to crime. This is a 
bill that has worked. It has some flaws in it and that is why I had 
introduced a bill that would close those loopholes. We know that the 
gun manufacturers have taken the guns that have been banned, and we 
know that they have made copycats. Those of you that remember the 
killings that happened here in D.C. with the D.C. sniper, that is a 
copycat.
  Why do we need these particular guns on the street? I promise that I 
will never do anything to take away the right of someone to own a gun, 
but to have assault weapons back on the streets is totally insane and 
it is insane. The American people feel that they cannot do anything. 
Well, they can.

                              {time}  1930

  They can write to their Congressmen, their Senators, certainly the 
House Speaker and the President. The President of the United States has 
said that if he has a bill on the desk, he will sign that bill. I am 
begging the American people to use their right to be able to talk to 
their Congressman or their Senator. Let us hear their voices. 
Otherwise, in 181 days we will have assault weapons back on the street.
  We do not even have the time to talk about the health care system and 
how much it costs from gun violence in this country. It is over $4 
billion a year, and the American taxpayer pays for half of that, mainly 
because those that are injured lose their insurance halfway through 
their treatment; and, believe me, I know this from experience.
  People keep saying they have no voice in the government. They can 
have a voice. They can have their words be heard by those who represent 
them here in the House. All I am asking is that we are allowed to bring 
up the Assault Weapons Ban here on the House floor and have a vote. 
Have a vote. But right now we are told that the bill will not be 
brought up. It is going to be allowed to just die.
  Ten years ago before I ever came to Congress, I came down here to 
lobby the people that worked here, to tell them the story and why 
assault weapons should not be on the streets. Colin Ferguson of the 
Long Island railroad shooting had 15 bullets in his clips. He was able 
to get two rounds off, 30 bullets, and each one of those bullets found 
a mark in a victim. And now we are going to allow the large-capacity 
clips back on the streets again? This is basically what our men and 
women are using in war in Iraq.
  Please let your voices be heard.

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