May 21, 1999

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T H E W H I T E H O U S E

May 21, 1999

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PRESIDENT CLINTON AND VICE PRESIDENT GORE:
CLOSING THE LOOPHOLES IN OUR GUN LAWS

“There are too many loopholes in the gun control laws we have. Today's vote is a step toward closing them.”

President Bill Clinton
May 20, 1999

At the White House, President Clinton and Vice President Gore expressed pleasure in Senate passage yesterday of a number of important proposals the President made to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and children. The measure that was passed requires background checks at gun shows, mandates child safety locks for handguns, bans juvenile possession of assault rifles, and bars the importation of large-capacity ammunition clips.

Making Progress with Common-Sense Gun Laws. President Clinton and Vice President Gore commended the Senate for passing legislation yesterday which included a number of the President's most important, common-sense gun control proposals. The legislation which was passed:

closes the gun show loophole by requiring background checks at gun shows;
mandates child safety locks for handguns;
bans juvenile possession of assault rifles; and
bars the importation of large-capacity ammunition clips.

These are significant accomplishments in this Administration's efforts to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and juveniles.

Challenging Congress to Do Even More. The President challenges the House of Representatives to pass additional common-sense gun laws and looks forward to working with Speaker Hastert, who has stated his support for gun show legislation and new provisions to raise the age of handgun sales to 21.

Taking the Lead to Reduce Violence. The President continues to take the lead in pushing for legislation and other actions to improve the safety of our children, including:

fighting for Congress to adopt his proposals to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and children;
launching a national grassroots campaign on youth violence;
challenging the entertainment industry to curb youth exposure to violence; and
proposing a stronger Safe and Drug-Free Schools initiative to help schools prevent violence.