[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.