[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 108 (Monday, September 13, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1610]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN SUPPORT OF H. RES. 2038: REAUTHORIZATION OF THE ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN, 
                         AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 13, 2004

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 2038, a 
resolution to reauthorize the assault weapons ban, sponsored by 
Representative Carolyn McCarthy, member of the committee on Homeland 
Security. I thank you for your tireless leadership on this issue.
  September 13, 2004, marks the day that we take a step back. Today 
marks the day that some Members will ignore the outcries of millions of 
Americans to extend this legislation, whose communities have been 
protected for a decade under the Assault Weapons Ban. On this day, the 
Republican leadership in Congress and the Administration have failed 
the citizens of this country by allowing this ban to expire. While some 
Members of these two chambers and the administration are content to 
play this game of ``cat and mouse,'' the expiration of this progressive 
legislation unleashes unimaginable threats upon our society.
  Mr. Speaker, we need not look too far in the recent past to know the 
terrifying effects of military-style weapons on our society. In 2002 
John Lee Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo terrorized the Washington 
Metropolitan area for several weeks. While some Members of this body 
and the Administration may have forgotten, I can assure you that the 
D.C. sniper shootings left an indelible mark on the 12 families who 
suffered at their hands and many Americans. Just last year, in 2003, 
our society was plagued again by sniper shootings in Ohio. There have 
been 12 shootings linked to this Ohio sniper, who allegedly used a 
semiautomatic pistol in his shooting spree. Of course let us not forget 
Columbine and the more recent Randallstown shooting in Baltimore 
County--evidence that no one, in no place even our innocent children 
are safe from gun violence. It is impossible to ignore the impact of 
gun violence in our society.
  Mr. Speaker, today we witness a political conundrum--we have an 
administration that believes that the War on Terror is a continuous 
battle, but then seeks to potentially arm the people who threaten our 
homeland, our security, and our safety in this country. By allowing the 
ban to expire, it demonstrates a lack of leadership, and undermines the 
very system we are currently trying to strengthen here in Congress. The 
administration's failure to push Congress to hear this debate, while at 
the same time announcing its willingness to sign the ban if extended, 
sends mixed signals. If the administration will not fight to protect 
millions of lives in the U.S. who inevitably stand in harm's way when 
the ban is lifted, how can it propose to effectively lead our country 
as we combat foreign enemies?

  The importance of this ban is evident. Since its enactment, our 
Nation has witnessed a sharp decline of assault weapons used in crimes. 
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives notes that 
since the ban's enactment in 1994 that usage of assault weapons in a 
crime has declined by 66 percent, and the Bureau has recovered more 
than 1.4 million guns in our country. These weapons, which were 
illegally possessed, were either used in a crime or linked to a crime. 
With staggering statistics such as these, Mr. Speaker, it is hard to 
ignore the effectiveness of this ban. In my home State of Maryland, 
there has been an overwhelming decline of assault pistols used in 
crimes since the Maryland Assault Pistol Ban in 1994. The Baltimore 
City Police Department concluded that since the ban's enactment that 55 
percent fewer assault pistols were used in crimes. Once again Mr. 
Speaker, with statistics such as these, we cannot ignore that this ban 
saves lives.
  Furthermore, the administration has proposed deep cuts in the 
Community Oriented Policing Services program (COPS), which provides 
grants to State and local law enforcement agencies to hire police 
officers, by cutting funding from 482 million to 97 million dollars. 
These cuts coupled with the expiration of the ban render our Nation's 
State and local law enforcement agencies practically unable to defend 
and protect citizens.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to conclude with these final words--the 
failure to pass this extension signals to millions of Americans that 
the leadership in Congress once again has not heard their pleas. This 
failure to extend the ban is only symptomatic of the failure of this 
current leadership and administration to hear the voices of this nation 
pleading for better healthcare, better schools, and safer communities.
  How can we let this ban lapse when it has saved so many lives?

                          ____________________