[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 686]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    A NEW CHANCE FOR GUN LEGISLATION

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, on April 20, 1999, two students walked into 
Columbine High School and carried out a shooting rampage, killing 12 
fellow students and a teacher, as well as wounding 24 others, before 
committing suicide. A week later, we paused in the Senate to observe a 
moment of silence in tribute to those who died and to express our 
sympathy for their loved ones. Since this tragic event, many of us, on 
many occasions, have urged our colleagues to debate and pass sensible 
gun legislation.
  Between 1999 and 2004, over 117,000 people have been killed by guns, 
criminals continue to gain easy access to guns and law enforcement 
officers do not have the tools they need to investigate gun-related 
crimes. The 109th Congress nonetheless has failed to act and has missed 
numerous opportunities to enhance the safety of our communities across 
the Nation. Congress has not reauthorized the 1994 assault weapons ban. 
Congress has not closed the gun show loophole. Congress has failed to 
make the necessary improvements to the National Instant Criminal 
Background Check System that could significantly decrease the 
likelihood of convicted criminals gaining access to guns. And, the 
President has failed to provide the necessary leadership. Instead we 
have seen a continual rise in the levels of gun related crime. This 
increase in crime levels has not been restricted to America's largest 
cities, but has also permeated America's small and mid-sized cities. As 
Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence 
and former mayor of Fort Wayne, IN, describes it:

       For almost six years, many have systematically made it 
     easier for criminals to have access to firearms by weakening 
     enforcement of laws that cut illegal gun trafficking, 
     supporting policies that encourage more firearms on the 
     streets of American cities, putting AK-47s and other 
     military-style semiautomatic weapons back onto our streets 
     and even placing huge restraints on the ability of 
     governments and individuals to hold the gun pushers 
     accountable through the civil court system.

  The 110th Congress has a fresh opportunity to act on a bipartisan 
basis to pass legislation that will make our streets safer for all 
Americans. I urge my colleagues to work to enact sensible gun safety 
legislation for the benefit of our families, communities and police 
officers.

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