FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 1999
(202) 616-2777
WWW.USDOJ.GOV
TDD (202) 514-1888
STATEMENT BY ATTORNEY GENERAL JANET RENO
WASHINGTON, DC -- Attorney General Janet Reno today held a press conference to address the vote last night on gun legislation by the House of Representatives. She issued the following statement.
"Last night the House of Representatives took a very big step backward in the effort to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. The amendment passed by the House failed to close the gun show loophole that has troubled so many. But it did more. The amendment they passed actually weakened what has proven to be a very effective gun law - the Brady Act.
"I am bitterly disappointed and I think it was just plain wrong.
"It is incomprehensible that, given the opportunity to correct a situation which permitted people who were not lawfully entitled to purchase a weapon, the House instead chose to reduce the amount of time that law enforcement has to complete pre-sale background checks on gun show purchasers. It reduced that time from three working days to 24 hours.
"A Saturday gun buyer, whose check takes longer than 24 hours, is almost 20 times more likely to be a prohibited purchaser than the average gun buyer because it is this small number for which a time greater than 24 hours is required --that has a prior record-- that we need the three working days to check the courthouse records. If it's a Saturday, 24 hours pass, and the courthouse isn't open, the records can't be checked.
"In short, the House has put the convenience of the NRA over the safety of the American people.
"The House has one more opportunity to address this issue. Later today Members of the House will consider the Hyde-McCollum-Dingell amendment and the Conyers-Campbell bill.
"I believe that the Hyde-McCollum-Dingell bill is fundamentally flawed. It narrows the definition of gun show to exclude many events where large numbers of guns are sold, such as flea markets, leaving a big hole in the law.
"A criminal should not be any more entitled to purchase a weapon at a flea market than he is at a gun show. By cutting down the amount of time law enforcement has to complete pre-sale background checks to 24 hours, we know that it will result in criminals slipping through the cracks and obtaining guns.
"The bi-partisan amendment offered by Representatives Conyers and Campbell is based upon the gun show measures passed by the Senate last month. It closes the gun show loophole, but it will not hurt lawful gun purchasers, people who --as referred to last night-- love to go to gun shows.
"I urge each Member of the House to look closely at the legislation before them today. I urge everyone to view every amendment through the eyes of a person --a parent-- someone who has lost their child or a loved one to violence and ask - will this bill keep guns out of the hands of criminals? And if the answer is yes, I urge them with all my heart to vote for it."
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