[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 51 (Monday, December 27, 1999)]
[Page 2651]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on 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 and the gun industry to help us make our country 
safer. I hope this report will help push that cause forward.