[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 18043]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TIME IS RUNNING SHORT

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, in less than one week, the 1994 assault 
weapons ban will expire and our Nation will once again be vulnerable to 
guns known to most in the law enforcement community as ``the weapons of 
choice for criminals.'' If the ban is allowed to expire on September 
13, potential criminals, including terrorists, could have access to 19 
of the highest powered and most lethal firearms capable of being 
produced. These guns have no sporting purpose and no place on our 
streets.
  In addition to banning 19 specific weapons, the current ban also 
includes prohibitions on semiautomatic weapons that incorporate a 
detachable magazine and two or more specific military features. These 
features include folding/telescoping stocks, protruding pistol grips, 
bayonet mounts, threaded muzzles or flash suppressors, barrel shrouds, 
or grenade launchers. Common sense should tell us that there is no 
reason for civilians to have easy access to guns with these features.
  Los Angeles Chief of Police Bill Bratton has said the following about 
these weapons: ``Since the Assault Weapons Ban was passed in 1994, we 
have seen a 66% decline in the frequency of assault weapon use in 
crime. Violent criminals love these weapons because they give them far 
more firepower than conventional weapons that greatly increases their 
capacity to kill. We cannot allow these weapons to get back into their 
hands.''
  It is important to listen to Chief Bratton and other law enforcement 
officials who support an extension of the assault weapons ban. The ban 
is important for the safety of all Americans but is especially 
important for the safety of our police officers.
  In 1994, I voted for the assault weapons ban and in March of this 
year I joined a bipartisan majority of the Senate in voting to extend 
the ban for 10 years. Unfortunately, despite Senate passage of the 
amendment, it appears that this important gun safety law will be 
allowed to expire. The House Republican leadership opposes 
reauthorizing the law and President Bush, though he has said he 
supports it, has done little to keep the law alive.
  Time is running short. We should support our law enforcement officers 
and reauthorize this common sense ban on assault weapons. Congress 
needs to act immediately to reauthorize the ban. I ask unanimous 
consent that a list of some of the organizations supporting this 
legislation be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the following material was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

     International Association of Chiefs of Police
     Major Cities Chiefs Association
     Police Foundation
     Police Executive Research Forum
     International Brotherhood of Police Officers
     National Association of School Resource Officers
     National Fraternal Order of Police
     National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives
     Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association
     National Black Police Association
     National League of Cities
     US Conference of Mayors
     National Association of Counties
     US Conference of Catholic Bishops
     National Education Association
     American Bar Association
     NAACP
     Americans for Gun Safety
     Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence United with the 
         Million Mom March
     Church Women United
     Episcopal Church, USA
     American Academy of Family Physicians
     American Public Health Association
     Family Violence Prevention Fund
     National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
     National Network to End Domestic Violence
     National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems
     National Association of Social Workers
     Physicians for a Violence Free Society
     American Association of Suicidology
     Mothers Against Violence in America
     Child Welfare League of America
     Alliance for Justice

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