[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Pages 19359-19360]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            KEEP OUR PROMISE

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, as the assault weapons ban expired last 
Monday, one of our Nation's law enforcement officers was recovering in 
a Miami, FL hospital from two gunshot wounds inflicted by an AK-47 
rifle. According to the Brady Campaign, all models of this make of 
assault rifle were prohibited at the time of the attack, but are now 
legal due to the expiration of the assault weapons ban on September 13.
  Last Monday, the Miami Herald reported that on September 12, 2004 
Miami-Dade Police Officer Keenya Hubert was on a routine patrol when 
she heard gunshots fired in a nearby neighborhood. She spotted a 
suspicious vehicle leaving the area, called for backup, and pulled the 
vehicle over. Suddenly, the driver got out of his vehicle and fired 
nearly two-dozen bullets at Officer Hubert and her police car using an 
AK-47 assault rifle. One of those bullets struck Officer Hubert in the 
shoulder and another grazed her forehead. Later in the week a man was 
arrested in connection with this attack. Press reports indicate the man 
had been previously convicted of attacking two other police officers in 
1997.
  Unfortunately, assault rifles like the one reportedly used in the 
attack on Officer Hubert's life as well as many other similar assault 
weapons are once again being legally produced and sold as a result of 
the expiration of the assault weapons ban. The ban also included 
firearms that can accept detachable magazines and have more than one of 
several specific military features, such as a folding/telescoping 
stock, protruding pistol grip, bayonet mount, threaded muzzle or flash 
suppressor, barrel shroud or grenade launcher. Common sense tells us 
that there is no reason for civilians to have easy access to guns with 
these features.
  In 1994, I voted for the assault weapons ban and in March of this 
year I joined a bipartisan majority of the

[[Page 19360]]

Senate in voting to extend the ban for 10 years. Unfortunately, despite 
the overwhelming support of the law enforcement community, the ongoing 
threat of terrorism, and bipartisan support in the Senate, neither the 
President nor the Republican Congressional leadership acted to protect 
Americans from assault weapons like the one used in the attack on 
Officer Hubert.
  Last week, Sarah Brady, the wife of Jim Brady who was shot in John 
Hinckley's attempted assassination of President Reagan, issued an open 
letter to President Bush expressing disappointment in his decision to 
allow the assault weapons ban to expire.
  Mr. President, I hope that in the remaining days of the 108th 
Congress the Republican leadership and the President will reverse 
course and act to extend the assault weapons ban.
  I ask unanimous consent that Sarah Brady's letter to President Bush 
be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                               September 14, 2004.
       Dear President Bush: I cannot begin to express my 
     disappointment in your decision to let the Assault Weapons 
     Ban expire yesterday.
       Four years ago you said you supported renewal of the 
     assault weapons ban, though you made it clear that you were 
     generally opposed to reasonable gun violence prevention laws. 
     I was very happy to hear you say it then, because it was a 
     sensible position, and one long supported by such 
     conservative leaders as Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater. As 
     a lifelong Republican, it gave me hope that my party would 
     move away from the knee-jerk tendency to oppose whatever the 
     gun lobby said Republicans should oppose.
       Now, these guns, designed by military scientists to inflict 
     the maximum level of damage to human beings, are back on our 
     streets.
       You have broken your promise to the American people and you 
     should be ashamed. Jim and I loved Ronald Reagan, and one of 
     the main reasons we loved him was that he was always, always, 
     true to his word.
       This law worked, and it saved lives. It saved the lives of 
     police officers and children. You cast your support aside for 
     a political endorsement. We all pay prices in life for our 
     actions. I hope the American people will make you pay a price 
     for this decision.
       In your current campaign, you are pledging to keep America 
     safe. But your conscious decision to let this ban expire has 
     placed us all in jeopardy.
       The expiration of this law is temporary. It will be 
     renewed: It is only a matter of how long it will take to 
     renew it. There is still time for you to show leadership, do 
     the right thing, and restore this law. But know that Jim and 
     I will continue our efforts to restore the ban, with or 
     without your help. And we will succeed. Lives are hanging in 
     the balance.
       Mr. President, step forward and do the right thing.
           Sincerely,
     Sarah Brady.

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