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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release November 30, 1999

                PRESIDENT CLINTON HIGHLIGHTS SUCCESS OF
        THE BRADY LAW, CALLS FOR PASSAGE OF FURTHER GUN MEASURES
                           November 30, 1999

Today, President Clinton will commemorate the sixth anniversary of the successful Brady Law by announcing new Justice Department figures demonstrating the continuing effectiveness of this historic legislation. Today's new figures show that Brady background checks have prevented over 470,000 felons, fugitives, stalkers and other prohibited buyers from purchasing firearms since 1993. In addition, Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers will today launch "Online LEAD," a new crime-fighting technology that will enhance law enforcement efforts to trace crime guns and crack down on illegal gun traffickers.

Noting that the success of Brady background checks and crime gun tracing have helped reduce violent gun crimes by over 35 percent since he took office, the President today will also urge Congress to make passage of common sense gun legislation a top priority next year.

KEEPING GUNS OUT OF THE WRONG HANDS. The Department of Justice will release new data from the FBI reporting that Brady background checks have prevented over 470,000 felons, fugitives, stalkers and others prohibited from purchasing firearms since the historic law took effect. The Justice Department will also provide information on the successful first year of operation of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which processed over 8.7 million background checks and stopped over 160,000 gun sales to restricted individuals since its implementation last year. Among sales denied by the FBI under NICS this year, 72 percent, were based on a felony conviction, 15 percent were for domestic violence or restraining orders, 4 percent were for illegal drug abusers, and 3 percent were for fugitives from justice.

CRACKING DOWN ON ILLEGAL GUN TRAFFICKERS. The President will also point out today that Treasury Secretary Summers is unveiling "Online LEAD," a new crime-fighting technology that will enhance the ability of law enforcement to detect and deter the illegal traffickers who supply weapons to criminals, juveniles and other prohibited persons. The "Online LEAD" program will provide every Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms field office in the nation with instant access to information on over one million crime gun traces. The program will also enhance investigations under the Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative (YCGII), an Administration effort to trace crime guns and crack down on illegal gun traffickers. The President recently secured over $51 million to expand YCGII from 27 to 38 cities.

MAKING PASSAGE OF COMMON SENSE GUN LAWS A TOP PRIORITY. The President today will also call on the Congress to build on the success of the Brady Law and federal gun tracing initiatives by making passage of sensible gun safety legislation the first order of business when it returns next year. The Congress failed this session to pass common sense measures to extend background checks and tracing records to all transactions at gun shows, ban violent juvenile offenders from possessing guns when they turn 21, mandate child safety locks to be sold with every handgun, and ban the importation of high capacity ammunition clips.

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