    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [May 13, 1999]
    [Pages 755-756]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Senate Action on Gun Control Legislation and an Exchange With
    Reporters
    May 13, 1999

        The President. Good morning. On Monday we brought parents and
    students, religious leaders and educators, and representatives of the
    entertainment and gun industries to the White House to lay the
    groundwork for a national campaign to reduce youth violence.
        We agreed that this was no time to point fingers or to pass the
    buck, but instead a time for everyone to take responsibility. Parents
    must take greater responsibility for their children's actions and get
    more involved in their children's lives. The entertainment industry must
    do its part.
        Even now, in the aftermath of Littleton, there are some in the
    entertainment industry who say there is nothing they can or should do.
    But that is wrong. Hundreds of studies show that the aggregate impact of
    sustained exposure to violence over the media to children, principally
    on television but also in the movies and now in video games, generally
    desensitize children to violence and its consequences, and therefore,
    make the more vulnerable children more violence-prone.
        The entertainment community is helping parents to limit children's
    exposure to violence. It should also not market indiscriminate violence
    to children. If this is a job for all of society, the entertainment
    industry is very much a part of our society and must do its part.
        Perhaps the most courageous statement at the summit, however, came
    from representatives of the gun manufacturers. They vowed to be part of
    the solution, to work with us to pass sensible measures to keep guns out
    of the hands of criminals and children.
        One of the most important measures we agreed on was legislation to
    require background checks at gun shows. In the past 5 years, the Brady
    law has stopped more than a quarter million felons, fugitives, and
    stalkers from buying handguns. But there's a loophole in the law: tens
    of thousands of guns are sold every year at gun shows without any
    background check at all.
        Last night a narrow majority of the Senate voted to preserve the
    dangerous gun show loophole. For the life of me, I can't figure out how
    they did it or why they passed up this chance

    [[Page 756]]

    to save lives. Just last November, over 70 percent of the voters in
    Florida, not generally thought of as a liberal State, voted to close the
    gun show loophole.
        I ask the Senate to reconsider its decision. There is simply no
    excuse for letting criminals get arms at gun shows they can't get at gun
    stores.
        Today the Senate will have another chance to debate commonsense
    measures that most gunmakers and sportsmen and ordinary citizens would
    welcome. The American people are watching this debate. They care very
    much about the result.
        As we all saw Monday, the gun manufacturing industry is ready to
    make progress. The country is ready to make progress. The Congress
    should be ready to make progress. We can't expect parents, young people,
    and the media to take responsibility if we in Government aren't willing
    to do our part.
        Thank you very much.

    Kosovo Funding Legislation

        Q. Mr. President, the Kosovo money bill--is it getting so loaded
    down that you may have to veto it?
        The President.  Well, I believe that we're actually making progress.
    I got a report from Mr. Podesta this
    morning, and I think there is some effort to trim down the bill some and
    to get it in position where I can sign it, and I hope it will be done
    quickly. We need the funds now, and we need the demonstration of support
    for the Kosovar refugees and for Macedonia and Albania now. It needs to
    be done as quickly as possible. And I'm, frankly, pretty encouraged this
    morning.
        Q. Do you think the American people understand the war, Mr.
    President? Support for the war seems to be declining, according to
    national polls.
        The President. I think they do understand it. I think they
    understand that it is overwhelmingly a humanitarian problem. I think
    they understand that there's a great difference between ethnic cleansing
    and mass slaughter and ethnic conflicts, which are so prevalent in other
    parts of the world. I think they understand that this is not something
    the United States is doing alone but with the strong involvement and
    leadership of our European allies. And I believe they understand that we
    have an interest in seeing peace and freedom in Europe.
        I think they are probably frustrated that it's not already over, but
    I said in the beginning we have to be prepared to pay the price of time.
    And the most important thing is that our children will understand it
    years from now if we stand against ethnic cleansing and we can turn the
    world against it, and they will not forgive us years from now if we do
    not.
        Thank you.
        Q. Central American aid, Mr. President?
        Q. Are there offsets that you would accept?
        Q. Will Yeltsin be impeached? What happens if Yeltsin goes?
        Q. Central American aid--
        The President. That is there, and I hope we get it.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:30 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White
    House, prior to his departure for Fort McNair, MD. A portion of the
    exchange could not be verified because the tape was incomplete.