[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 46 (Monday, November 16, 1998)]
[Pages 2307-2310]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Signing Legislation To Provide Educational Assistance to 
Families of Slain Officers and Strengthening Penalties for Criminals 
Using Guns

November 13, 1998

Situation in Iraq

    Thank you very much, and good morning. Ladies and gentlemen, because 
this is the only time I'm going to be before the press today, at the 
outset of my remarks I'd like to say a few things about the situation in 
Iraq.
    For more than 3 months, the United States and the international 
community have very patiently sought a diplomatic solution to Iraq's 
decision to end all its cooperation with the U.N. weapons inspectors. 
Iraq's continued refusal to embrace a diplomatic, peaceful solution, its 
continued defiance of even more United Nations resolutions, makes it 
plainer than ever that its real goal is to end the sanctions without 
giving up its weapons of mass destruction program.
    The Security Council and the world have made it crystal clear now 
that this is unacceptable, that none of us can tolerate an Iraq free to 
develop weapons of mass destruction with impunity. Still, Saddam Hussein 
has it within his hands to end this crisis now by resuming full 
cooperation with UNSCOM. Just yesterday his own neighbors in the Arab 
world made it clear that this choice is his alone and the consequences, 
if he fails to comply, his alone in terms of responsibility.

Bill Signings

    Now, let me say to all of you, this is a very good day for the 
United States. I want to thank Officer Sandra Grace from New Bedford, 
Massachusetts, and Detective Gary McLhinney from Baltimore for their 
service, for sharing their stories, for representing their organizations 
so well, for reminding us why all of those here have worked so hard to 
pass the laws that in a few moments I will sign, laws to help us honor 
the memory of law enforcement officers by helping to prevent the kind of 
gun-related crimes that took their lives and by supporting the families 
they leave behind.
    I'd also like to thank Secretary Rubin, Attorney General Reno, 
Director Magaw, the ATF, Assistant Secretary Johnson, and the others who 
are here from the Treasury and Justice Departments; Attorney General 
Curran from Maryland, who joined us today. And a special word of thanks 
to my good friend Senator Biden, who had to leave; and to Congressman 
Stupak; Congressman King, who spoke so well and did so much. And thank 
you, Congressman Fox, for joining us here today in celebration of the 
work you did that I hope you'll be proud of all your life, sir. Thank 
you very much.
    This is a special day for me personally because I was attorney 
general of my own State. I was Governor for a dozen years. I have spent 
a lot of hours riding around in State police cars with officers. I have 
been to altogether too many funerals of law enforcement officials killed 
in the line of duty. And because I come from a small State, very often

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I knew these people well. I knew their families, their children, their 
circumstances.
    Just last weekend I went home to dedicate an airport, and the first 
people that came running up to me were the three State police officers 
who were assigned to work the event. And we stood there and relived a 
lot of old times.
    So this issue is very, very vivid. And I think, again, we should 
thank, especially, the Members of Congress who are here, the police 
officers, Gil Gallegos and the FOP; Thomas Nee and the National 
Association of Police Officers; Jerry Flynn, the International 
Brotherhood of Police Officers; Rich Gallo, the Federal Law Enforcement 
Officers Association; Sam Cabral, the International Union of Police; and 
Debbie Geary from the Concerns of Police Survivors. I'd like to ask you 
all just to give them all another hand. [Applause]
    Six years ago when I became President, one of my most urgent 
priorities was to put the Federal Government on the side of supporting 
our police officers and reducing the crime rate. At the time, the crime 
rate was on the rise; gangs, guns, and drugs were sweeping through our 
neighborhoods, terrorizing our families, cutting off the future of too 
many of our children.
    The thing that bothered me most when I was out around the country 
seeking the Presidency was that there were so many people who were full 
of hope and optimism for our country, but when it came to crime, they 
seemed almost to have given up, to have simply accepted the fact that a 
rising crime rate was a part of the price of the modern world. We were 
able to galvanize, all of us together, the energies of the American 
people to fight back.
    I never met a law enforcement officer who believed that a rising 
crime rate was inevitable. Every law enforcement officer I met believed 
that if we did the right things--if we were tough, yes, but tough was 
not enough; we had to be smart, too--that if we both punished people who 
should be punished and did the intelligent things to prevent crime from 
happening in the first place, that the crime rate could go down.
    And we passed, in 1994, a historic crime bill, along with the Brady 
law, which among other things, focused on community policing, aggressive 
prevention, and tougher penalties for violent repeat offenders. Now 
we're ahead of schedule and under budget in putting those 100,000 police 
on the street. We've gone after gangs and drugs with the full authority 
of Federal law. The Brady law has prevented about a quarter of a million 
felons, fugitives, and stalkers from buying firearms in the first place. 
Crime rates have fallen to a 25-year low.
    All across America, robbery is down; assault is down; murder is 
down. Respect for the law is on the rise. You can see it in little ways: 
fewer broken windows, less graffiti, cleaner streets in city after city 
after city.
    We must never forget that this victory was won, however, at a very 
high price for some of our law enforcement officials. We must never 
forget that police officers put on their uniforms, their badges, go to 
work every day knowing that that day could be their last, just by doing 
their jobs.
    Officer Bradley Arn served on the police force of St. Joseph, 
Missouri, for the last 7 years. He was a cop's cop. He patrolled the 
streets by day and worked his way through college by night. At 28, more 
than anything else, he wanted a better life for his wife and his 2-year-
old twin daughters.
    On Tuesday, just a couple of days ago, he answered a distress call. 
A career criminal with a semi-automatic gun was terrorizing pedestrians. 
He responded to the call and was brutally gunned down. According to the 
police, the murderer had a deadly goal, quote, ``He wanted to hurt 
people in black and white cars wearing dark blue uniforms.'' Only the 
bravery of a fellow officer stopped the shooting spree.
    Every year there are too many police officers like Bradley Arn who 
make the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe. Not very long ago, I went 
up to the Capitol to honor the two police officers who were killed 
there. But we have to do more than build monuments to honor these 
people. We have to take action to prevent more needless tragic deaths, 
to work for those who have given their lives, and we have to take action 
to help families they leave behind.
    Two years ago we acted to provide college scholarships to the 
families of slain Federal

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law enforcement officers. Last year I pledged to make those same 
scholarships available to the families of State and local law 
enforcement officers and all public safety personnel. Today the 
legislation I sign honors that pledge. From now on, children and spouses 
of public safety officials who lose their lives in the line of duty will 
be able to apply for nearly $5,000 a year to pay for college tuition.
    I should point out that because virtually 100 percent of these 
families will be people on very modest incomes, they will be eligible 
also for the $1,500-a-year HOPE tax credit in the first 2 years of 
college, tax credits for the junior and senior year, expanded work-study 
programs, student loan programs--a student loan program which in most 
places allows them to pay the loan back as a percentage of the income 
that they earn--and the IRA that can be withdrawn from without penalty 
if the money's used to educate children. Most of that was the product of 
the bipartisan Balanced Budget Act of 1997.
    So we believe that if you look at this scholarship amount with the 
other things that have been passed in the last couple of years, as Peter 
King said, with overwhelming bipartisan support, Democrats and 
Republicans working together on these issues, we will be able to protect 
the families and the children in their education and, in so doing, to 
honor the families and the law enforcement officers. It's the least we 
can do, and we have to do it.
    The bill I'm about to sign was enacted in memory of U.S. Deputy 
Marshal William Degan, the most decorated Deputy Marshal in our history, 
who lost his life in a brutal shootout. His son, Billy Degan, was the 
first young person to benefit from this program. He recently graduated 
from Boston College, and he's here with us today. I'd like to ask him to 
stand and be recognized. [Applause]
    Now, let me say just a brief word about the other legislation that 
I'm going to sign; Mr. McLhinney talked about it. I'm very proud that 
we're announcing these scholarships, but I can't wait for the day when 
there is not a single person eligible for one. And I think that all of 
us should think about that.
    We know from painful experience that the most serious threat to the 
safety of police officers is a criminal armed with a weapon. Most police 
officers who lose their lives die from gunshot wounds. That's why we 
fought hard to keep guns off the streets, out of the hands of criminals. 
Brady background checks, as I said earlier, have prevented nearly a 
quarter of a million felons, fugitives, and stalkers from buying guns. 
Last week I announced a new step to close a loophole in the law that 
makes it easier for gun traffickers and criminals to avoid those checks 
at private gun shows. Make no mistake, the insidious practice of 
sidestepping our guns laws is not an idle threat.
    The city of Chicago recently concluded an undercover investigation 
of gun dealing. And as you saw, I hope, in the morning press, it has 
just filed suit alleging widespread practices by gun dealers in the 
Chicago area of selling guns illegally, counseling purchasers on how to 
evade firearms regulations, even selling guns to purchasers who say they 
intend to violate the law. We know legitimate gun dealers make every 
effort to comply with the law, but these charges in Chicago, if proven 
true, would demonstrate that at least some parts of the gun industry are 
helping to promote an illegal market in firearms. Such disrespect of our 
law endangers our people, and we will be watching the progress of this 
lawsuit closely.
    The ATF already vigorously investigates gun dealers and other gun 
traffickers who violate Federal laws. We will continue to work closely 
with State and local police to trace the crime guns back to their source 
and prevent illegal gun sales, especially to criminals and juveniles.
    But there is more we can do to protect our communities and police 
officers. You've heard a little bit of it from Detective McLhinney, but 
let me just say again, for several years now criminals who have used 
guns to commit their crimes have been subject to stiff, mandatory 
penalties under Federal law and virtually every State law in the 
country. Today we go a step further. To protect our families and police 
officers, the bill I sign today will add 5 years of hard time to 
sentences of criminals who even possess firearms when they commit drug-
related or violent crimes. Brandishing the firearm will draw an extra 7 
years; firing it, another 10. A second conviction means a quarter 
century

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in jail. This is very important to try to reduce the threat of violent 
crime.
    Just a couple of days ago on Veterans Day, as I have every year 
since I've been President, I laid a wreath on the tomb of the unknown 
servicemen who gave their lives in service to our country. Today it is 
with great pride that I stand here with many of our law enforcement 
officers who, every day, are prepared to make the same sacrifice. 
Together, we are working to make America stronger in the 21st century. 
And again, let me thank you all.
    Now I'd like to ask the Members of Congress and Officers Grace and 
McLhinney and Mr. Degan, if you would come up here, I'd like for you to 
stand with us as we sign the bill. Please.

Note: The President spoke at 12:17 p.m. in Room 450 of the Old Executive 
Office Building. In his remarks, he referred to President Saddam Hussein 
of Iraq; Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr., of Maryland; Gil 
Gallegos, president, Fraternal Order of Police; Thomas Nee, president, 
Boston Police Patrolmen's Association; Jerry Flynn, national vice 
president, International Brotherhood of Police Officers; Richard J. 
Gallo, national president, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association; 
Sam Cabral, president, International Union of Police Associations; and 
Debra J. Geary, national president, Concerns of Police Survivors. At 
time of publication, S. 1525, Police, Fire, and Emergency Officers 
Educational Assistance Act of 1998, and S. 191, An Act To Throttle 
Criminal Use of Guns, both approved November 13, had not yet been 
received by the Office of the Federal Register for assignment of a 
Public Law number.