[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book I)]
[March 5, 1997]
[Pages 236-239]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks on Signing the Memorandum on Child Safety Lock Devices for 
Handguns and an Exchange With Reporters
March 5, 1997

    The President. Good morning. I'd like to welcome here Senators Biden 
and Boxer, Durbin and Feinstein, Kohl; Congressmen Conyers, Schumer, and 
Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy; along with Deputy Attorney General Jamie 
Gorelick; Treasury's Under Secretary for Enforcement, Ray Kelly; our 
friends Jim and Sarah Brady; and members of the law enforcement 
community. Did I leave anyone from Congress out? Senators? Did I get 
everybody? Good.
    Four years ago we made a commitment to take our streets back from 
crime and violence with a comprehensive plan: first, to put 100,000 
community police officers on our streets, to put new, tough penalties on 
the books, to steer young people away from crime and gangs and drugs, to 
keep guns out of the hands of criminals with the assault weapons ban and 
the Brady bill. Last week I announced that the Brady bill has already 
stopped 186,000 felons, fugitives, and stalkers from purchasing 
handguns.

[[Page 237]]

    Repeatedly I have said that fighting the scourge of juvenile crime 
and violence will be my top law enforcement priority in the next 4 
years. Two weeks ago I submitted to Congress my antigang and youth 
violence strategy. One of this bill's key provisions will require gun 
dealers to provide safety locks with every handgun they sell, to prevent 
unauthorized use by teenage criminals and to protect children too young 
to know what they're doing.
    Today I announce a series of new steps we must take immediately to 
protect our children, our neighbors, and our police officers from 
tragedies caused by firearms in the wrong hands. First, we must keep 
guns out of the hands of children.
    The Centers for Disease Control report that nearly 1.2 million 
children return from school to a home with no adult supervision but with 
a loaded and unlocked firearm. Easy access means deadly consequences. 
Children and teenagers cause over 10,000 unintentional shootings every 
year. Guns cause one in every four deaths of teenagers age 15 to 19. 
Last month the Centers for Disease Control reported that the rate of 
children from birth to age 14 who are killed by firearms in America is 
nearly 12 times higher than in 25 other industrialized countries 
combined.
    America cannot tolerate this. Until Congress makes child safety 
locks the law of the land, we must do everything we can to prevent 
unauthorized firearms use.
    I want to make sure the Federal Government is doing its part. Each 
year the Federal Government issues thousands of handguns to law 
enforcement agents. Unfortunately, we know all too well that even 
firearms issued to law enforcement are sometimes tragically misused. 
Today I am directing that every Federal agency shall require child 
safety locking devices with every handgun issued. The directive I'm 
about to sign requires every department and every agency to develop a 
plan to accomplish this commonsense safety measure and to implement it 
as soon as possible. And Congress should pass my proposal to require 
these locks with every handgun in the very near future. If it's good 
enough for law enforcement, it's good enough for all our citizens.
    The second step we're taking today will make it harder for people to 
come to America, purchase weapons, and commit crimes against Americans. 
We were all shocked to learn of the foreign gunman who shot seven people 
on top of the Empire State Building, killing one of them, and then 
killing himself. He apparently bought this gun after living in a Florida 
motel for just 3 weeks. Federal law requires legal aliens to live at 
least 90 days in a State before they are allowed to purchase a handgun. 
But the application to buy a gun does not even ask how long an applicant 
has lived at his or her current address.
    As a first step to reduce illegal handgun purchases by foreigners, 
today I'm announcing that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms 
will immediately require applicants to certify that they have been 
residents for at least 90 days in the State where they are trying to buy 
a gun. But this is not enough. I call on Congress to pass the bill 
sponsored by Senators Kennedy and Durbin and Congressman Schumer that 
will prohibit all foreign visitors from buying or carrying guns in the 
United States.
    Finally, as we work to make all our people safer, we must never 
forget our special obligation to police officers, like those who are 
with me today, who risk their lives to protect us all. It is long past 
time for Congress to listen to America's law enforcement officers and 
ban cop-killer bullets once and for all.
    I have sent this legislation to Congress twice before, and they 
failed to act. They should not delay this effort again. We don't need to 
study this issue any more to determine what specific materials can be 
used to make armor-piercing bullets. We need a simple test and a 
straightforward ban. If a bullet can tear through a bulletproof vest 
like a hot knife through butter, it should be against the law, and that 
is the bottom line. These bullets are designed for one purpose only, to 
kill police officers. They have no place on our streets.
    Three simple steps to make our children, our streets, and our law 
enforcement officers safer: child safety locks on handguns, new rules to 
prevent foreign criminals from buying guns in the United States, a 
straightforward ban on cop-killer bullets. I will do my part. I thank 
the Members of Congress who are here especially for their leadership, 
and I ask the Congress to act on this important legislation.
    Now, let me sign this order here, and then I'll answer any questions 
you have.

[At this point, the President signed the memorandum.]

[[Page 238]]

    Thank you.

Assault Weapons Ban

    Q. The police were outgunned in Los Angeles. Do you think there's 
also a problem with police departments not having enough firepower?
    The President. There could be, but I think the real problem is--the 
way we sought to deal with that is by dealing with the assault weapons 
ban. I think most police departments will be adequately armed if we can 
get the assault weapons out of the hands of the criminals and if we have 
tougher enforcement of the Brady bill. It's--186,000 blocked sales is no 
small number, even in a big country like ours--186,000. That's pretty 
impressive.

1996 Campaign Financing

    Q. What do you think of the Republicans suggesting they'll vote 
tomorrow in the Senate on insisting there be an independent counsel on 
campaign financial fundraising?
    The President. Well, I think, you know, there is a law on that. It's 
a legal question. It shouldn't be a political one.

Gun Control Legislation

    Q. Mr. President, why would you think now that things in the 
Congress would be any different this time around for cop-killer bullets 
or for some of these other measures than before?
    The President. Because of the clear demonstration of public support. 
Keep in mind that this Congress, which had originally come into office 
with a commitment to repeal the--I mean, the last Congress, the Congress 
of '95-'96, which came to Congress with a commitment to repeal the 
assault weapons ban and weaken or repeal the Brady bill actually agreed 
with me to strengthen the Brady bill at the end of the last session of 
Congress in late 1996. So I think there has been a sea change in the 
shift of attitude in the Congress as the American people have 
crystallized their opinions on these issues and made it known.
    Furthermore, I think there will be broad support--even broader 
support for the child safety locks. I would be surprised if you don't 
have a lot of the gunowners groups--if they didn't support this, it 
would surprise me. I mean, this is consistent with a lot of the things 
that they have said in the past, so I think we would have a good chance 
on that.
    And on the cop-killer bullets, I think that--you asked my hope. My 
hope is based on the action that this Congress took at the last session 
where they voted with us to extend the impact of the Brady bill.

1996 Campaign Financing

    Q. Mr. President, with the new subpoenas coming out on the Lippo 
connection to the White House, are you satisfied that there's been no 
undue influence by outside influence on--by outside countries on either 
your White House or on your former--your very good friend Web Hubbell?
    The President. I have no reason to believe that there has been. But 
I think that everybody should comply with the information, and we have. 
And you know, Mr. Burton asked us yesterday, I think, for some 
information relating to the allegation of an attempt by the Chinese to 
influence the American election. And when we have made that--when--we 
said in our letter to the Justice Department that we assumed anything 
that we got would be given to the House and Senate Intelligence 
Committees because we didn't want to raise any questions, we just want 
to get to the bottom of that. And so, they have it, and whatever is 
appropriate for them to share with Mr. Burton, they can.
    I just think we----
    Q. Is Burton grandstanding?
    The President. I don't want to get into that. But I believe that the 
House and Senate committees--Intelligence Committees--have anything that 
we had. And so they can share it with them as is appropriate.
    Q. Do you have any reason to believe there was influence----
    The President. No.
    Q. ----attempted influence?
    The President. I do not, but I think we have to get--you know, 
there's an investigation. As I said, the charge is serious; we need to 
get to the bottom of it. But I have no reasons to believe--I have no 
personal evidence, but that's not the issue. The issue is this charge 
has been made, it's--anytime you allege that another government 
attempted to influence an American election, that's a serious thing and 
has to be looked into. But I have no personal evidence, but I want the 
investigation to proceed, and I want the Justice Department to get to 
the bottom of it. And I expect that they will.

[[Page 239]]

Note: The President spoke at 10:33 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to former White House Press Secretary 
James S. Brady, who was wounded in the 1981 assassination attempt on 
President Ronald Reagan; Mr. Brady's wife, Sarah, head of Hand Gun 
Control, Inc.; and Representative Dan Burton, chairman, House Committee 
on Government Reform and Oversight.