[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 39 (Monday, October 2, 2000)]
[Pages 2178-2179]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

September 23, 2000

    Good morning. In these first fall days of the new millennium, 
America is basking in the glow of unprecedented prosperity, with the 
longest economic expansion in history. But we're not just better off; 
we're more hopeful, more united, and more secure.
    Last year the overall crime rate fell for the eighth consecutive 
year, the longest continuous drop in crime on record, giving us the 
lowest crime rate in 27 years. Since 1993, gun violence alone has 
declined by more than 35 percent. But none of us believes America is as 
safe as it should be, and none of us should be satisfied until America 
is the safest big Nation in the world.
    This morning I want to talk about new ways we're harnessing the 
power of technology to catch more gun criminals and keep guns out of the 
wrong hands. Recently, we saw stark evidence that the Internet is fast 
becoming a new outlet for illegal gun sales. This past May, two 
teenagers, using a forged

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Federal firearms license, were able to order guns over the Internet for 
delivery to their home in Montclair, New Jersey. Because they used a 
forged license, there was no scrutiny, no background check, no questions 
asked. It was only because of the actions of a suspicious UPS delivery 
man that this scheme was thwarted.
    Unfortunately, the Internet, despite all its benefits, is making it 
easier for guns to fall into the wrong hands. There are now 4,000 
firearm sales-related sites on the Internet, and there are 80 sites 
where you can actually buy a gun at auction. Clearly, we must do more to 
ensure that every sale over the Internet is legal and that no one uses 
the anonymity of cyberspace to evade our Nation's gun laws.
    That's why today I'm announcing that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, 
and Firearms is launching a new website, called EZ CHECK, to prevent 
criminals and juveniles from using fraudulent licenses to buy firearms. 
The system, linked to the ATF website, allows licensed gun dealers to 
quickly verify that licenses presented to them for purchase or shipment 
of guns are valid. In addition, the ATF is proposing new measures to 
require gun sellers to verify licenses and report individuals who use 
invalid ones.
    By making it easier to check the validity of gun licenses, we'll 
make it harder for guns to fall into the wrong hands and give law 
enforcement and the gun industry a new tool to put a stop to illegal 
sales.
    EZ CHECK is a part of our comprehensive strategy to strengthen gun 
laws and better enforce those already on the books. In 1993 we passed 
the Brady law, which has kept more than half a million felons, 
fugitives, and domestic abusers from buying firearms. In 1994 we passed 
an historic crime bill, which has funded more than 100,000 additional 
community police officers around the Nation. The bill also toughened 
penalties and banned assault weapons.
    Meanwhile, gun prosecutions have been rising. Federal firearms 
prosecutions have increased 16 percent since 1992, and the average 
sentence has gone up by 2 years. Since this strategy is working, it's 
quite curious to me that those who argue for more enforcement over new 
gun safety legislation are, nevertheless, refusing to fund key elements 
of our $280 million gun enforcement initiative, including funds for an 
additional 1,000 gun prosecutors. So I ask this Congress, don't just 
talk about strong enforcement; give us the tools to do the job.
    I'm also calling on Congress to help prevent gun crimes from 
happening in the first place by passing our long-overdue commonsense gun 
safety measures, requiring background checks at gun shows, mandating 
child safety locks for handguns, and banning the importation of large-
capacity ammunition clips.
    We must begin this new century by abandoning the stale debate from 
the last one about whether it's better to strengthen gun laws or enforce 
existing ones. The ATF's new EZ CHECK system, combined with our 
unprecedented enforcement budget and our strong commonsense gun safety 
proposals, will do both. They'll be a major step forward in our efforts 
to crack down on gun criminals and save lives.
    Our current prosperity gives us the chance to focus on the big 
challenges of the new century. Making America the safest big country in 
the world is a challenge big enough to be worthy of our attention and 
one we must meet for the sake of our future and our children.
    Thanks for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 6:34 p.m. on September 22 in the Oval 
Office at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on September 23. 
The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary 
on September 22 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast.