    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [December 21, 1999]
    [Pages 2326-2327]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Proposed Gun Control Legislation
    December 21, 1999

        Today Senator Schumer released an
    important new report that shows us how vital it is for us to change the
    way the gun industry does business. The report contains more evidence
    that a very small proportion of gun dealers is linked to a very high
    proportion of crime guns traced by police. It also shows that most of
    the guns that end up in the hands of criminals first pass through a
    middleman, for instance, a straw purchaser or an illegal gun trafficker.
    That is why I have pushed Congress to pass commonsense gun measures to
    crack down on traffickers who supply guns to criminals. And that is why
    my administration has begun to engage the gun industry on a range of
    steps the industry itself can take.
        Thanks to the Brady law, our increased support for State and local
    law enforcement, and other steps we've taken, gun violence in America is
    down. But no one believes it is down far enough. The message of today's
    report is simple: It's time for Congress and the gun industry to help
    clamp down on bad dealers and stem the flow of guns to criminals. It's
    time for Congress

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    and the gun industry to help us make our country safer. I hope this
    report will help push that cause forward.