    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [April 21, 2000]
    [Pages 758-759]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Letter to the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee on Proposed Gun
    Safety Legislation
    April 21, 2000

    Dear Chairman Hyde:
        As you know, yesterday marked the anniversary of the tragic
    shootings at Columbine High School--and the date by which I had called
    on Congress to enact commonsense gun safety legislation. The passing of
    this deadline is a deep disappointment. When nearly 12 of our nation's
    children are killed by gunfire every day, we have an urgent
    responsibility to do all we can to reduce gun violence. That is why I am
    grateful for your good-faith efforts to seek agreement, despite
    tremendous pressure on Congress from the gun lobby. I was also glad to
    see that you joined Representative Conyers
    last week in urging Chairman Hatch to
    promptly convene the juvenile justice conference and to move forward at
    last on this legislation. And I appreciated receiving your most recent
    proposal to reach a compromise.
        I still have serious concerns about aspects of your latest proposal
    that I fear would create new loopholes for criminals to buy guns. But I
    am confident that if we can keep working together in good faith, we can
    reach agreement on a strong, commonsense bill that I can sign into law.
        I was especially encouraged by your recent commitment on ``Meet the
    Press'' and in your letter to Mr. Conyers
    to ensure that persons under felony indictments remain subject to full,
    three-day background checks. It is critical that we make the same effort
    to stop criminals from buying guns at gun shows that we already make at
    gun stores.
        In order to prevent fraud, protect privacy, and fully enforce the
    nation's gun laws--goals we both share--I believe we must make National
    Instant Criminal Background Check System records available for a
    sufficient period of time rather than immediately destroying them.
    However, as a gesture of good faith, I am willing to meet you halfway on
    this important issue, by requiring records to be destroyed within 90
    days, instead of 180 days as provided under current law. With this
    compromise, we can address your concerns while preserving this
    significant law enforcement tool. I hope this step will help break the
    current logjam, and bring your colleagues back to the conference table.
        We still have other important issues to resolve. I remain concerned
    about aspects of your proposal that would: leave open the gun show
    loophole by letting criminals buy guns at flea markets and by cutting
    short existing background checks on persons with certain mental health
    histories and domestic violence restraining orders; undermine the ban on
    importation of high-capacity ammunition clips; weaken long-standing
    controls on interstate firearms sales; and fail to require vital record-
    keeping provisions needed by law enforcement to trace guns sold at gun
    shows that later turn up in crimes.
        Despite these significant outstanding issues, I believe we can reach
    an agreement. It is my sincere hope that in the coming weeks, we can
    work together to address our common goal of closing the gun show
    loophole and ensuring that our nation's gun laws are fully enforced
    without weakening current gun laws in the process. Neither of us is
    interested in a compromise that would serve only to jeopardize public
    safety and the effectiveness of law enforcement. I look forward to
    working with you to pass this commonsense legislation, and I encourage
    you to continue urging Chairman Hatch to
    allow the conferees to meet and consider this legislation. As you have
    stated, our efforts will come to nothing until that happens. Only by
    allowing an open

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    and honest debate in conference and by working out our differences can
    we do right by the American people on this vital issue. We owe it to the
    families of Littleton, and the thousands more who lose their lives in
    gunfire each year in America, to get this done now.
            Sincerely,

                                                                Bill Clinton