AND PERHAPS THIS ISN'T THE IDEAL SPOT FOR THIS DEBATE. I
           ADDITION I WOULD ONLY SAY THAT THAT WAS THE AGREEMENT WHICH WAS
           REACHED BY 100 SENATORS. THAT WE WOULD HAVE AMENDMENTS THAT
           WERE NOT SPECIFICALLY GERMANE TO BANKRUPTCY AS PART OF THE
           FINAL BILL THAT WE WILL DEAL WITH ON THE FLOOR THIS YEAR. SO
           THE IDEA, I WOULD JUFLT HOPE WHO WILL ARGUE THAT WE SHOULDN'T
           BE DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE WILL BE EQUALLY VOCAL IN COMPLAINING
           ABOUT OTHER LESS GERMANE ISSUES IN THE BANKRUPTCY DEBATE,

           BECAUSE CLEARLY WE'RE GOING TO HEAR SOME FROM BOTH SIDES THAT
           COULD BE ARGUED AS TO BEING INAPPROPRIATE IN THIS CONTEXT. THE
           FACT IS, MR. PRESIDENT, I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT TO US
           TAKE A TOUGH STAND ON DRUGS, WANT US TO TAKE A TOUGH STAND IN
           FAVOR OF TOUGHER DRUG SENTENCES. OUR AMENDMENT ACCOMPLISHES
           THAT, AND I SINCERELY HOPE OUR COLLEAGUES WILL JOIN US IN
           SUPPORTING IT IN ITS PASSAGE A LITTLE LATER THIS MORNING. MR.
           PRESIDENT, I YIELD THE FLOOR.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM NEW JERSEY.
           

           MR. LAUTENBERG: MR. PRESIDENT, THE -- ISK UNANIMOUS CONSENT --
           HOIS THE TIME APPORTIONED?
           
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM NEW JERSEY HAS 45
           MINUTES, AND THE OTHER SIDE HAS 16 1/2.
           

           MR. LAUTENBERG: I THANK THE CHAIR. WE'LL TRY TO SAVE SOME TIME
           FOR MY FRIEND FROM IOWA, ABOUT TWO MINUTES. MR. PRESIDENT, I
           WANT TO RAISE MY VOICE IN OPPOSITION TO THIS AMENDMENT BECAUSE
           I THINK IT'S WRONGHEADED DISTRACTION FROM THE REAL ISSUE THAT
           PARENTS ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY CARE ABOUT, AND THAT IS THE
           EPIDEMIC OF GUN VIOLENCE IN OUR SOCIETY AT LARGE, AND
           ESPECIALLY IN OUR SCHOOLS. THIS AMENDMENT WOULD ALLOW FEDERAL

           EDUCATION FUNDING TO BE SHIFTED FROM SPECIAL EDUCATION,
           COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY, BILINGUAL EDUCATION AND OTHER KEY PROGRAMS
           TO PROVIDE VOUCHERS TO STUDENTS WHO ARE VICTIMS OF SCHOOL
           VIOLENCE. NOW, ALL OF US -- IN A WAY, I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU, I
           THINK THIS AMENDMENT HAS A CRUEL TWIST TO IT BECAUSE WE ALL
           WANT TO BE OF HELP WHEREVER WE CAN BE TO THOSE WHO ARE
           VICTIMIZED BY VIOLENCE. BUT LOOK AT THE WAY THE PROGRAM'S
           DESIGNED. VOUCHERS TO SCHOOLS?

           IT DOESN'T, IN MY VIEW, REALLY MAKE A LOT OF SENSE WHEN IN FACT
           IF WE COULD GET GUNS -- KEEP GUNS AWAY FROM OUR SCHOOLS, WE
           WOULD NOT HAVE TO BE THINKING ABOUT VOUCHERS, BUT RATHER ABOUT
           HOW WE EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN. IF WE COULD BRING OUR -- THE
           TEACHERS INTO THIS SCHOOLROOM, AS THE PRESIDENT WOULD LIKE TO
           HAVE US DO, 100,000 TEACHERS, PERHAPS THE WORKLOAD FOR MANY
           WOULD BE ABLE TO BE CONFINED TO A SERIOUS REVIEW OF THE
           EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS. SO, THIS AMENDMENT, MR. PRESIDENT, IS

           DISTURBING ON MANY LEVELS, SO MANY THAT I'M NOT SURE WHERE WE
           BEGIN. IS THIS THE ANSWER TO SCHOOL VIOLENCE?
           IGNORE THE CAUSES. DO NOTHING TO REMEDY THE ISSUE ISSUE, BUT
           SHIFT CERTAIN KIDS OUT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS. DOES THE REPUBLICAN
           MAJORITY REALLY BELVE THAT SCHOOLS SHOULD CUT SPECIAL EDUCATION
           AND COMPUTER FUNDING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO FUND VOUCHER PROGRAMS?
           NOW, MR. PRESIDENT, WE'RE APPROACHING THE 21ST CENTURY, AND

           EVERYONE KNOWS THAT WHEAFERT 20TH CENTURY BROUGHT BY WAY --
           WHATEVER THE 20TH CENTURY BROUGHT BY WAY OF TECHNOLOGY,
           COMPUTERS, ET CETERA, IS LIKELY TO BE DWARFED IN THE EARLIEST
           YEARS OF THE 21ST CENTURY, AND IT ALL STARTS WITH A COMPUTER
           BASE. WHY WE WOULD WANT TO TAKE NDS AWAY FROM THOSE PROGRAMS IS
           REALLY HARD TO UNDERSTAND. IT'S NOT WHAT AMERICA'S PARENTS
           WANT. THEY WANT ANSWERS. WE HAD ONE OF THE ANSWERS ON THE FLOOR
           OF THIS SENATE. IT PASSED THIS BODY. THEY WANT TO SEE A

           JUVENILE JUSTICE BILL PASSED. BUT THE MAJORITY HAS BURIED THIS
           LEGISLATION IN CONFERENCE AND DECLARED IT DEAD FOR THE YEAR.
           IT'S HARDLY A WAY TO RESPOND TO THE ANGUISHED CALLS THAT WE
           HEAR ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY. IT INCLUDES, YES, STRICTER
           PUNISHMENT FOR THOSE WHO WOULD VIOLATE THE RULES OF BEHAVIOR IN
           OUR SOCIETY, BUT IT WILL ALSO CLOSE THE GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE THAT
           TOOK THE ANONYMOUS YER OUT OF THE EQUATION. IT REDUCED THE
           POSSIBILITY THAT ANYONE WHO IS ON THE TEN MOST WANTED LISTS OF

           THE F.B.I. COULD WALK INTO A GUN SHOW AND BUY A GUN. AS
           ATROCIOUS, AS OUTRAGEOUS AS THAT SOUNDS, THAT'S THE TRUTH. I
           DON'T KNOW WHEN THE CONGRESS IS GOING TO CATCH UP WITH THE
           AMERICAN PEOPLE. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE SO FAR AHEAD OF THE
           CONGRESS THAT IT'S EMBARRASSING. POLL AFTER POLL PLEADS WITH
           THE SENATE, PLEADS WITH THE HOUSE. TAKE AWAY THE AVAILABILITY
           OF GUNS SO FREELY, OR AT LEAST IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT
           AWAY, MAKE SURE THAT THOSE WHO BUY GUNS ARE QUALIFIED, THAT

           THEY KNOW WHAT TO DO, THAT THEY'RE MATURE, THAT THEY'RE NOT
           LIKELY TO USE THEM FOR A VIOLENT ENDING. THE PUBLIC IS
           DEMANDING AN END TO THE GUN VIOLENCE. IT'S REACHED EPIDEMIC
           PROPORTIONS. THE EVENT OF LAST WEEK PROVED NO ONE IS SAFE FROM
           MAN YAKS WHO AMASS ARSENALS OF DEADLY WEAPONS AND USE THEM TO
           GUN DOWN WHOLE GROUPS OF PEOPLE, PEOPLE FROM HAWAII TO SEATTLE,
           FROM COLORADO TO TEXAS TO KENTUCKY. JUST THINK ABOUT IT.
           SCHOOLCHILDREN, HIGH SCHOOLCHILDREN IN COLUMBINE, EVERYONE

           REMEMBERS THAT -- WILL NEVER FORGET -- THE PICTURE OF THAT
           CHILD HANGING OUT THE WINDOW, PLEADING FOR HELP BEFORE SHE
           FALLS TO THE -- HE OR SHE FALLS TO THE GROUND. AND THEN THE
           NEXT ONE IS OFFICE WORKERS RUNNING AWAY FROM A GUNMAN IN
           ATLANTA, GEORGIA. AND THE NEXT PICTURE OF YOUNGSTERS GATHERING
           TOGETHER TO PRAY, BEING ASSAULTED BY A GUNMAN AND RUNNING FOR
           THEIR LIVES FROM THAT. WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING HERE TO STOP
           THIS INSANITY. WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT A SYSTEM THAT

           MAKES IT EASIER FOR SOMEONE TO BUY A GUN THAN TO GET A DRIVER'S
           LICENSE. MR. PRESIDENT, WE ARE ABOUT AT THE END OF THIS
           LEGISLATIVE SESSION, AND ONE THING IS CLEAR. WE HAVE GIVEN IN
           TO THE EXTREMISTS OF THE GUN LOBBY, THE N.R.A., WHO POSE EVEN
           THE MOST COMMON-SENSE -- WHO OPPOSE EVEN THE MOST COMMON-SENSE
           PROPOSALS TO STOP GUN VIOLENCE. IF I WAS THEIR ADVISOR, I WOULD
           SAY LISTEN GUYS, LISTEN WOMEN, LET'S GIVE IN ON THIS ONE. IT
           DOESN'T HURT US A DARNED BIT AND IT MAKES US LOOK LIKE WE'RE IN

           TOUCH WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. BUT, NO, THE EXTREMISTS WENT
           OUT, AND THEY HAVE THEIR HAND IN THIS PLACE AND THEY HAVE THEIR
           HAND IN THE HOUSE, AND THEY TURN OUR PROGRAMS AWAY FROM PUBLIC
           OPINION AND PUBLIC DEMAND. MOST AMERICANS ASSUME THAT THE
           HORRIFIC SHOOTING IN COLUMBINE WOULD BE ENOUGH, THE ULTIMATE
           OUTRAGE. MOST AMERICANS THOUGHT THAT THE VISION OF TWO HIGH
           SCHOOL STUDENTS SYSTEMATICALLY KILLING 12 CLASSMATES AND A
           TEACHER AND WOUNDING 23 OTHERS WOULD FINALLY SPUR CONGRESS TO

           ACTION, WOULD FINALLY SAY THAT'S ENOUGH, THAT'S ENOUGH. AFTER
           THOSE -- THAT TERRIBLE INCIDENT, 89% IN ONE POLL, 91% IN
           ANOTHER POLL ASKED FOR THE ELIMINATION OF THE GUN SHOW
           LOOPHOLES. BUT IT WAS IGNORED HERE. THE PUBLIC OUGHT TO LOOK AT
           WHY IT WAS IGNORED. THE REASON I THINK IT WAS IGNORED IS THAT
           CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS OVERWHELM THE GOOD JUDGMENT AND THE
           DEMANDS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS. GET

           ELECTED, THAT'S WHAT COUNTS. THERE'S MORE TO IT THAN THAT. THAT
           IS SEVEN MONTHS AGO WHEN THAT HAPPENED. STILL CONGRESS HASN'T
           ACTED EVEN WHILE THE BODY COUNT RISES. JUST LAST WEEK NINE MORE
           PEOPLE WERE SHOT AND KILLED IN RAMPAGES BY TWO GUNMEN. ONE OF
           THESE GUNMEN OWNED 17 HANDGUNS. IN MAY OF THIS YEAR THE SENATE,
           WITH VICE PRESIDENT GORE'S HELP, PASSED MY GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE
           AMENDMENT AS PART OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE BILL. THE GUN SHOW
           LOOPHOLE AMENDMENT -- I'LL TAKE A MINUTE MORE  DESCRIBE -- SAID

           THAT GUN SHOWS, WHERE SO MANY GUNS ARE BOUGHT, TRADED AND SOLD,
           HAD A PLACE FOR NONLICENSED GUN DEALERS, NONFEDERALLY LICENSED
           GUN DEALERS. IN THOSE CASES ANYONE, IT DIDN'T MATTER WHOURP,
           COULD WALK UP TO ONE OF NOSE GUN DEALERS AND SAY, "GIVE ME 20
           GUNS, AND HERE'S THE MONEY." AND THERE WOULD BE NOT ONE
           QUESTION ASKED. WHAT'S YOUR NAME?
           WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
           WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING?
           HAVE YOU BEEN IN JAIL?
           HAVE YOU BEEN A DRUG ADDICT?
           HAVE YOU BEEN AN ALCOHOLIC?
           HAVE YOU BEEN KNOWN TO HAVE BURSTS OF TEMPER AND OUTRAGE?

           HAVE YOU BEAT YOUR WIFE, YOUR CHILDREN?
           NOT ONE QUESTION. IT'S OUTRAGEOUS. NOT ONE QUESTION. WE TRY TO
           CLO THAT -- CLOSE THAT LOOPHOLE. AND IT WAS A COMMON-SENSE
           MEASURE THAT WOULD HAVE STOPPED LAWBREAKERS, UNDER AGE
           CHILDREN, MENTALLY UNSTABLE FROM WALKING INTO A GUN SHOW AND
           WALKING OUT WITH A SMALL ARSENAL. WE FAFED 51-50. BUT AS SOON
           AS THE SENATE PASSED MY AMENDMENT, THE N.R.A. SOUNDED ITS

           ALARM, AND ITS ALLIES WENT TO WORK TO DEFEAT THE PROPOSAL IN
           THE HOUSE. THE GUN LOB BY SPENT MILLIONS ON RADIO AND TV ADS,
           BUT OF COURSE THOSE ADS DIDN'T MENTION THE GUN MASSACRES THAT
           FOLLOWED COLUMBINE. THEY DIDN'T MENTION THAT IN THE FIRST WEEK
           IN JULY A VIOLENT RACIST WENT ON A SHOOTING RAMPAGE IN ILLINOIS
           AND INDIANA KILLING FOUR PEOPLE AND INJURING NINE. AND A FEW
           WEEKS LATER A DERANGED DAY TRADER IN ATLANTA SHOT NINE PEOPLE
           TO DEATH IN AUGUST AND WOUNDED 13, OR THAT IN AUGUST A MAN WITH

           A .44 CALIBER GLOCK GUN KILLED THREE CO-WORKERS IN ALABAMA.
           THERE IS NO SAFE -- THERE IS NO PEOPLE, GROUP OF PEOPLE SAFE,
           NO ETHNIC GROUP, RELIGIOUS GROUP, OTHERWISE. FIVE DAYS AFTER
           THAT A WHITE SUPREMACIST KILLED A FILIPINO POSTAL WORKER, SHOT
           FOUR YOUNG PEOPLE AT A JEWISH DAY-CARE CENTER. WHO WILL FORGET
           THAT SCENE?
           THESE LITTLE KIDS, KIDS LIKE MY GRANDCHILDREN, BEING LED OUT BY
           POLICEMEN OUT OF THE SCHOOLYARD, SCHOOLHOUSE WHERE THEY WENT TO
           LEARN AND VE FUN, RUNNING AWAY FROM A KILLER. OR THAT JUST LAST

           MONTH A WELL-ARMED MANIAC WALKED IN A BAPTIST CHURCH IN FORT
           WORTH, TEXAS, AND KILLED SEVEN YOUNG PEOPLE AT A PRAYER
           GATHERING. DAY BY DAY THIS DEATH TOLL IS ON OUR FAMILIES AND
           OUR FRIENDS, WHERE WE WORK, WHERE WE LIVE. PEOPLE KILLED BY
           GUNS EVERY YEAR IN THIS COUNTRY, MORE PEOPLE THAN WE LOST
           DURING THE KOREAN WAR. ADDITIONALLY, WE WIND UP TREATING 134,0
           GUN SHONE WOUNDED, AND THE COST TO THE COUNTRY IS OVER $2

           BILLION A YEAR, AND TAXPAYERS PAY ALMOST HALF OF THAT. AND
           WHILE THE N.R.A. MAY BE ON THE REPUBLICANS SIDE, LAW
           ENFORCEMENT IS ON OURS. I WO WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT IN DRAFTING
           MY GUN SHOW AMENDMENT, AND I RECEIVED NUMEROUS LETTERS FROM LAW
           ENFORCEMENT ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING THAT AMENDMENT AND OTHER
           GUN-SAFETY MEASURES THE SENATE PASSED. I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT
           THAT THE COPIES OF THE LETTERS BE INSERTED IN THE RECORD.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION.
           

           MR. LAUTENBERG: SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES MAY RECALL THAT FORMER
           PRESIDENT GEORGE BH RESIGNED FROM THE N.R.A. BECAUSE THE
           ORGANIZATION REFERRED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE AS JACK-BOOTED
           THUGS. WHAT A TWIST THAT IS. TO TRY AND PIN ON OUR LAW
           ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE, WHO COURAGEOUSLY ARE OUT THERE RISKING
           THEIR OWN LIVES, TRYING TO PROTECT OTHERS, REFER TO THEM AS
           JACK-BOOTED THUGS. THAT HARDLY DOES IT. I SALUTED GENERAL --

           PRESIDENT BUSH FOR THAT ONE. 10 WE OUGHT TO BE SKEPTICAL WHEN
           THE N.R.A. SAYS IT SUPPORTS LAW ENFORCEMENT. WE OUGHT TO BE
           SKEPTICAL ALSO WHEN THEY USE THE SECOND AMENDMENT TO PROMOTE
           EXTREMIST VIEWS. WE HAVE TO LOOK EVERY NOW AND THEN AND SEE
           WHAT THE SECOND AMENDMENT REALLY SAYS. AND I QUOTE HERE, "A
           WELL-REGULATED MILITIA BEING NECESSARY TO THE SECURITY OF A
           FREE STATE, THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS SHL
           NOT BE INFRINGED." IT DOESN'T SAY THAT YOU OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO
           BUY IT WITHOUT A LICENSE. IT DOESN'T SAY THAT IF YOU'RE CRAZY,
           YOU OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO BUY A GUN. IT DOESN'T SAY IF YOU'RE 12

           YEARS OLD, YOU OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO BUY A GUN. IT DOESN'T SAY
           YOU OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO BUY AS MANY GUNS AS YOU WANT. NO MATTER
           HOW BROADLY ONE WANTS TO INTERPRET THAT, THERE IS NOTHING THERE
           THAT SAYS THAT YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO HAVE A LICENSE TO BUY A
           GUN. NONE OF THAT. BUT THE AMENDMENT, THE INTERPRETATION OF THE
           AMENDMENT HAS BEEN BROADENED, BUT THE COURTS DON'T HOLD THAT.
           THE COURTS DON'T SUPPORT IT. BUT THAT'S THKIND OF GOBBLEDYGOOK
           THAT ACCOMPANIES THAT. IT'S LIKE WHEN THEY SAY GUNS DON'T KILL,
           PEOPLE KILL. WELL, WHO PULLS THE TRIGGER?
           ANIMALS?

           I GUESS MAYBE IN SOME WAY THEY ARE. YOU'LL NOTICE THAT YOU
           NEVER HEAR THE N.R.A. TALKING ABOUT THE FIRST 13 WORDS IN THAT
           AMENDMENT, "A WELL-REGULATED MILITIA BEING NECESSARY TO THE
           SECURITY OF A FREE STATE." THEY ONLY CITE THE LAST 14 WORDS,
           WHEN IT ARGUES THAT THE AMENDMENT CREATES AN UNLIMITED RIGHT
           FOR INDIVIDUALS TO BEAR ARMS. NONSENSE. AND THE N.R.A. KNOWS
           THE HISTORY OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT, DOESN'T SUPPORT THE
           ORGANIZATION'S RADICAL VIEWS. WHEN THE CONSTITUTION WAS BEING

           DEBATED, EACH STATE HAD ITS OWN MILITIA, AND MOST ADULT MALES
           WERE REQUIRED TO ENLIST AND TO SUPPLY THEIR ENE-- OWN
           EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING THEIR OWN GUNS. THE SECOND AMENDMENT WAS
           WRITTEN IN RESPONSE TO CONCERNS THAT EXCESSIVE FEDERAL POWER
           MIGHT LEAD TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PASSING LAWS TO DISARM
           THOSE STATE
{END: 1999/11/10 TIME: 13-15 , Wed.  106TH SENATE, FIRST SESSION}