THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                         (Aboard Air Force One)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                      June 11, 1999

                 EXERPT OF THE REMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT
            TO THE U.S. CONFERENCE OF MAYORS ANNUAL MEETING
                           IN NEW ORLEANS, LA

The Senate Majority even wants to kill our successful COPS program; the very community police who help cut crime in neighborhoods all across America. My balanced budget, on the other hand, extends our commitment to community police into the 21st century, to put even more officers on our streets, especially in the toughest neighborhoods, and give them the tools they need to make those streets safe.

Now is the time to build on our success, not to undermine it. And it's also time -- high time -- to do more to keep guns out of the wrong hands. But the House leadership seems intent on ignoring the lessons of Littleton -- the lessons of all of our recent past. They want to water down the common sense; modest gun bill passed by the Senate. According to news reports, the NRA is crowing that the House leadership gave them 90 percent of the new loopholes they wanted in the gun show law.

Now, clearly, there's a difference of approach here. We have a simple strategy that is already reducing crime all across America. We want more police on the street and fewer guns in the hands of criminals and children. They want more guns on the street and fewer cops. I think that's the wrong approach for America. The House leadership should heed the clear voice of the American people and stop listening to the deadly backstage whispers of the gun lobby.

30-30-30