[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 5170-5171]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        PREVENTING GUN VIOLENCE

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, the debate over the best way to prevent gun 
violence in America raises strong emotions. Second amendment 
advocates--me among them--want to preserve and protect the right of 
every law-abiding citizen to bear arms. Victims of gun violence and 
family members of those killed by guns--me among them--want to ensure 
that guns are kept from the hands of criminals and those with mental 
illnesses severe in nature. These are both worthy goals, and they 
should not be mutually exclusive goals.
  It is possible to uphold the second amendment while protecting 
innocent Americans from gun violence. Of course it is. The compromise 
background check proposal before the Senate--a measure crafted by 
Senators Toomey, Manchin, Kirk, and Schumer--achieves both goals. This 
bipartisan measure would keep guns out of the hands of dangerous 
criminals by requiring background checks for private gun sales at gun 
shows and over the Internet.
  It strengthens the existing instant check system by encouraging 
States to put all their criminal and mental health records into the 
National Instant Criminal Background Check System, a step supported by 
gun rights groups. And it would establish a National Commission on Mass 
Violence to study all causes of mass violence in our country. School 
safety, mental health, video games--whatever is appropriate should be 
looked into.
  This legislation has the backing of the Citizens Committee for the 
Right to Keep and Bear Arms. It has 650,000 members. It is the second 
largest gun rights group in the Nation.
  On this proposal--background checks--the National Rifle Association 
is not being very talkative. Why? Because they have supported this 
measure in the past. And while they are not publicly supporting it now, 
they have done it in the past.
  This measure has the support of antigun violence advocates such as 
Mayors Against Illegal Guns, consisting of hundreds of mayors around 
the country. It has the support of law enforcement groups, such as the 
International Association of Chiefs of Police.
  Although this compromise does not go as far to expand background 
checks as some had hoped, the nature of compromise is what it is. That 
is what legislation is all about. It is not perfect, but it certainly 
is a long, big, heavy step forward.
  Expanding background checks to cover gun shows and Internet sales is 
common sense. It will help protect the innocent from gun violence. And 
it will also protect firearms sellers. No responsible firearms dealer 
wants to unwittingly put a gun in the hands of a murderer.
  One need only ask a man by the name of Bruce Daly. Mr. Daly sold the 
shotgun that was used in a shooting rampage at the Lloyd D. George 
Federal Courthouse in Las Vegas a few years ago.
  Seventy-two-year-old security guard and retired police officer 
Stanley Cooper was murdered by a felon who bought a gun at a gun show 
in Kingman, AZ--90 miles from Las Vegas. I repeat, the shooter was a 
convicted felon, who had no right to own a gun and could never have 
passed a background check. But because Mr. Daly sold the shotgun at a 
gun show in Arizona, he never had to perform a background check.
  After the shooting at the Las Vegas courthouse, Mr. Daly was found to 
have an expired Federal permit for selling weapons, and because of that 
he was convicted. But Mr. Daly, admirably, has stepped forward. He 
admits to having sold dozens of guns that were linked to violent 
crimes. I repeat, today Mr. Daly, admirably, wishes he had done more to 
keep the guns he sold out of the hands of criminals, and he has stated 
many times that expanded background checks are the best way to do that.
  Most gun owners--and most gun dealers--are responsible, law-abiding 
people. They love and respect firearms. They are sportsmen who hunt. 
They may take their weapons when they go fishing. These are people who 
enjoy target shooting, who no longer hunt, but they like to go out and 
plunk or they like to go to a range and shoot. They are citizens who 
simply want to protect themselves, their homes, and their families.
  A better background check law will not infringe on second amendment 
rights in any way. But it will prevent the small minority of people who 
want to obtain guns for the wrong reasons from buying these weapons. 
And it will stop troubled people who, because of an illness beyond 
their control, would be a danger to themselves or to others if they 
possessed a firearm.
  This compromise legislation should not be controversial. Nine out of 
10 Americans--including a majority, a vast majority, of gun owners and 
75 percent of NRA members--support stronger background check laws. This 
is not the background check law that was reported out of the committee 
that is in the underlying bill. But Manchin, Toomey, Kirk, and Schumer 
think they can improve that, and that is what this amendment is all 
about.
  A number of my colleagues oppose this measure. I am sure that is the

[[Page 5171]]

case. It is their right to vote against it. We continue to work--I 
continue to work--toward an agreement to vote on this compromise and to 
consider other amendments. We need to do that. Democrats are not going 
to offer all the amendments. Republicans want to offer amendments. They 
feel the law in the country today is too weak. In their minds, they 
want to make it weaker but they think that is a strength. Most people, 
a majority of us, would disagree, but they have a right to do that.
  I hope there are not going to be a few unreasonable extremists who 
are going to try to prevent an up-or-down vote on legislation in this 
bill. We should not have a filibuster on this legislation. I, of 
course, can always file cloture. I hope we do not have to do that. That 
would be a shameful tribute to the memory of 27 people who died in 
Newtown: little boys and girls--in the minds of many, babies--and 
school teachers, administrators who were killed; 27 of them.
  Newtown deserves a vote, and so do the mothers and fathers, loved 
ones and friends, of the 3,300 victims of gun violence in America since 
that terrible day at Sandy Hook. Mr. President, 3,300 people have died 
because of gunshots since Sandy Hook.
  Don't we have an obligation to the American people to do some 
correcting of what is not right in this country? I believe so.
  Mr. President, I know the chairman of the committee, who has worked 
hard to get this matter before us, is here. He also has an amendment. I 
hope we can get to his amendment, which I wish to do next; and that is 
an amendment that I am told is even supported by the National Rifle 
Association to improve what is in this bill that was reported out of 
the committee dealing with Federal trafficking.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Kaine). The Senator from Vermont.

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