[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 108 (Monday, September 13, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H7037-H7038]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CONGRESS COMMITS SHAMEFUL ACT OF OMISSION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, today, this Congress committed a shameful 
act of omission. When today's congressional session ended, so too ended 
the assault weapons ban that has helped to keep our streets safe for 
the past decade.
  In 1994, President Clinton bravely ushered the assault weapons ban 
through Congress. This act took its political toll on not only 
President Clinton but also the Democratic Party, but he stuck to his 
guns, so to speak, and strongly supported passage of this important 
legislation.
  As a result, the use of military-style automatic weapons in crimes 
dropped from 4 percent in 1995, before the ban had taken effect, to 1 
percent in the year 2002. In fact, according to the Department of 
Justice, the proportion of banned assault weapons traced to crimes has 
dropped by 66 percent since 1995.
  The refusal by the House Republican leadership to bring up an 
extension of the assault weapons ban and the failure of President Bush 
to push for its renewal is about much more than gun control. This issue 
is about nothing less than the very security of our Nation.
  Today's failure to extend this important law will make Americans less 
safe. In fact, al Qaeda, in their training manuals that were recovered 
from Afghanistan, specifically cited the ease of obtaining automatic 
rifles and machine guns in the United States. To many terrorists around 
the world, America is known as the great gun bazaar.
  Let us break down the facts: First, al Qaeda, our worst enemy, has 
specifically instructed terrorists on how to

[[Page H7038]]

exploit America's gun laws to obtain the weapons they intend to use to 
kill Americans.
  Next, the United States had a proven and effective law on the books 
that made it difficult to purchase these deadly weapons, and this law 
needed to be renewed.
  Finally, President Bush, who claims to be a huge homeland security 
supporter, stayed silent. Why did he remain silent? Why did the 
President not act? I believe the answer is really pretty simple.

                              {time}  1945

  The National Rifle Association, the NRA, refused to support President 
Bush's reelection bid until after the renewal date for the assault 
weapons ban came and went, that was today, came and went untouched by 
the White House. This President has been cowed by the NRA. The sad 
irony is that last week Vice President Dick Cheney made the outrageous 
claim that it is absolutely essential on November 2 that Americans make 
the right choice because if we make the wrong choice, then the danger 
is that we will get hit again. I quote that from the Vice President's 
remarks.
  This misleading connection in addition to insulting the intelligence 
of the American people wrongly asserts that a vote for John Kerry and 
John Edwards is a vote for terrorism. Instead, al Qaeda will be poised 
to hit us again because in large part on September 13, 2004, today, the 
Republican leadership has allowed Islamic militants and others to once 
again purchase American machine guns, all for the reelection of the 
President. How very, very shameful that is. If we truly want to secure 
our homeland, we need to pursue policies that are smarter than those 
that would decriminalize deadly weapons to elect someone to office. By 
the way, virtually every major law enforcement organization in the 
United States of America supports extending the ban.
  That is why I have introduced a new SMART security platform for the 
21st century. H. Con. Res. 392 is legislation to create a sensible, 
multilateral, American response to terrorism. SMART security is 
stronger on national security than President Bush claims to be. SMART 
security will stop the sale of weapons to oppressive regimes and 
regimes involved in human rights abuses. SMART security will pursue 
enhanced inspection regimes and regional security arrangements to 
ensure that state sponsors of terrorism do not get ahold of more light 
weaponry, or even deadlier chemical or biological weapons.
  Let us talk for a moment about presidential flip-flops. When it comes 
to keeping assault weapons out of the hands of terrorists, George Bush 
speaks out of both sides of his mouth.

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