    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book II)]
    [November 14, 1997]
    [Pages 1575-1576]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Memorandum on Importation of Modified Semiautomatic Assault-Type Rifles
    November 14, 1997

    Memorandum for the Secretary of the Treasury

    Subject: Importation of Modified Semiautomatic Assault-Type Rifles

        The Gun Control Act of 1968 restricts the importation of firearms
    unless they are determined to be particularly suitable for or readily
    adaptable to sporting purposes. In 1989, the Department of the Treasury
    (the Department) conducted a review of existing criteria for applying
    the statutory test based on changing patterns of gun use. As a result of
    that review, 43 assault-type rifles were specifically banned from
    importation. However, manufacturers have modified many of those weapons
    banned in 1989 to remove certain military features without changing
    their essential operational mechanism. Examples of such weapons are the
    Galil and the Uzi.
        In recent weeks Members of Congress have strongly urged that it is
    again necessary to review the manner in which the Department is applying
    the sporting purposes test, in order to ensure that the agency's
    practice is consistent with the statute and current patterns of gun use.
    A letter signed by 30 Senators strongly urged that modified assault-type
    weapons are not properly importable under the statute and that I should
    use my authority to suspend temporarily their importation while the
    Department conducts an intensive, expedited review. A recent letter from
    Senator Dianne Feinstein emphasized again that weapons of this type are
    designed not for sporting purposes but for the commission of crime. In
    addition, 34 Members of the House of Representatives signed a letter to
    Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu requesting that he intervene
    to stop all sales of Galils and Uzis into the United States. These
    concerns have caused the Government of Israel to announce a temporary
    moratorium on the exportation of Galils and Uzis so that the United
    States can review the importability of these weapons under the Gun
    Control Act.
        The number of weapons at issue underscores the potential threat to
    the public health and safety that necessitates immediate action.
    Firearms importers have obtained permits to import nearly 600,000
    modified assault-type rifles. In addition, there are pending before the
    Department applications to import more than 1 million

    [[Page 1576]]

    additional such weapons. The number of rifles covered by outstanding
    permits is comparable to that which existed in 1989 when the Bush
    Administration temporarily suspended import permits for assault-type
    rifles. The number of weapons for which permits for importation are
    being sought through pending applications is approximately 10 times
    greater than in 1989. The number of such firearms for which import
    applications have been filed has skyrocketed from 10,000 on October 9,
    1997, to more than 1 million today.
        My Administration is committed to enforcing the statutory
    restrictions on importation of firearms that do not meet the sporting
    purposes test. It is necessary that we ensure that the statute is being
    correctly applied and that the current use of these modified weapons is
    consistent with the statute's criteria for importability. This review
    should be conducted at once on an expedited basis. The review is
    directed to weapons such as the Uzi and Galil that failed to meet the
    sporting purposes test in 1989, but were later found importable when
    certain military features were removed. The results of this review
    should be applied to all pending and future applications.
        The existence of outstanding permits for nearly 600,000 modified
    assault-type rifles threatens to defeat the purpose of the expedited
    review unless, as in 1989, the Department temporarily suspends such
    permits. Importers typically obtain authorization to import firearms in
    far greater numbers than are actually imported into the United States.
    However, gun importers could effectively negate the impact of any
    Department determination by simply importing weapons to the maximum
    amount allowed by their permits. The public health and safety require
    that the only firearms allowed into the United States are those that
    meet the criteria of the statute.
        Accordingly, as we discussed, you will:
        1) Conduct an immediate expedited review not to exceed 120 days in
    length to determine whether modified semiautomatic assault-type rifles
    are properly importable under the statutory sporting purposes test. The
    results of this review will govern action on pending and future
    applications for import permits, which shall not be acted upon until the
    completion of this review.
        2) Suspend outstanding permits for importation of modified
    semiautomatic assault-type rifles for the duration of the 120-day review
    period. The temporary suspension does not constitute a permanent
    revocation of any license. Permits will be revoked only if and to the
    extent that you determine that a particular weapon does not satisfy the
    statutory test for importation, and only after an affected importer has
    an opportunity to make its case to the Department.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    Note: This memorandum was made available by the Office of the Press
    Secretary on November 14 but was embargoed for release until 10:06 a.m.
    on November 15.