    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
    [September 17, 1996]
    [Pages 1599-1600]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Letter to Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich on
    Legislation To Prohibit Possession of Firearms by Domestic Violence
    Offenders
    September 17, 1996

    Dear Mr. Speaker:
        I am pleased that you have now joined me in supporting legislation
    to prohibit domestic violence offenders from obtaining firearms. No one
    who has committed an act of domestic violence against a spouse or child
    should be able to possess a firearm.
        As you know, Senator Lautenberg and Representative Torricelli have
    introduced legislation that would achieve this objective. The Senate
    passed the Lautenberg bill for the second time last week by an
    overwhelming and bipartisan vote of 97-2. It is now time for the House

    [[Page 1600]]

    to act on the Torricelli bill and join the Senate in supporting this
    bipartisan effort.
        There were 88,500 incidents of domestic violence where a firearm was
    present in 1994. I signed the Brady Law in 1993 and to date it has
    prevented over 60,000 felons, fugitives and others from buying handguns.
    My 1994 Crime Bill included the historic Violence Against Women Act,
    which made it a crime for stalkers and harassers under restraining
    orders to carry a gun. That provision is beginning to take hold--in
    Kentucky alone, over 300 stalkers and harassers were prohibited from
    buying firearms in one year. The legislation that you now support will
    build upon these important provisions.
        I welcome your support and determination to complete this job.
    Protecting innocent women and children from deadly domestic violence is
    too important to let anything stand in the way. Bringing this bill to a
    vote in the House is an important step. But we must see it through to
    the end. Send it to me for my signature without further delay before
    Congress adjourns so that keeping guns out of the hands of all domestic
    violence offenders becomes the law of the land.
            Sincerely,

                                                                Bill Clinton

    Note: This letter was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    September 18.