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http://www.rollcall.com/pages/news/00/2001/04/news0405h.html

April 5, 2001=20
Members Take Aim at Smith & Wesson Program=20

House Republicans, With Help of 10 Democrats, Try to Reverse Clinton =
Administration's Gun-Control Initiative=20

By John Bresnahan=20

Emboldened by the election of President Bush, a bipartisan group of =
Members has asked the administration to end a controversial program =
giving preferential treatment to gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson.=20

The request comes as several House and Senate Democrats, ignoring claims =
that the party's focus on gun control hurt it at the polls last =
November, are preparing to reignite the gun debate when Congress returns =
from the two-week Easter recess.=20

Led by Reps. John Hostettler (R-Ind.) and Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.), 100 =
Members sent a letter to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Mel =
Martinez last month asking that he halt a program in which the =
department encourages state and local agencies to purchase Smith & =
Wesson handguns.=20

The program, the Communities for Safer Guns Coalition, was started by =
then-HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo after Smith & Wesson agreed in March =
2000 to meet tougher safety standards for handgun sales. Those new =
standards were opposed by all of the other major gun makers.=20

"We believe, and are hopeful that you will concur, that HUD has more =
than enough challenges in its efforts to create opportunities in the =
areas of home ownership, low-income housing assistance and the =
enforcement of the nation's fair housing laws," said the March 1 letter, =
which was signed by 10 Democrats.=20

"Moreover, HUD's mission should not include activities that will, among =
other issues, result in our law enforcement officers' weapon selection =
being based on political concerns rather than merit. We urge you, =
therefore, to put a halt to former Secretary Cuomo's unauthorized =
program as soon as possible."=20

The program, under which HUD signed up nearly 600 communities, was =
created after Smith & Wesson inked a deal with then-President Bill =
Clinton under which the Massachusetts-based firm agreed to abide by more =
stringent safety regulations, including mandatory gun locks for new =
weapon sales.=20

In return, the Clinton administration successfully pressured municipal =
authorities in Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Boston and other cities to =
drop Smith & Wesson from lawsuits against the gun industry. Officials in =
those cities are attempting to recoup some of the costs of gun violence =
from gun manufacturers through legal actions. The lawsuits have been =
bitterly opposed by pro-gun groups.=20

As a further bonus, Clinton promised to give Smith & Wesson preferential =
treatment in federal handgun purchases, such as those for =
housing-authority police forces that use HUD funds, as well as use the =
federal government's influence to convince state and local governments =
to do the same.=20

Lawmakers such as Hostettler were outraged over the program, seeing it =
as a backhanded attempt by Clinton and Cuomo (now a candidate in the New =
York gubernatorial race) to enforce stricter requirements on the gun =
industry than had been approved by Congress. A series of legislative =
skirmishes broke out last summer as Hostettler and other pro-gun =
lawmakers, with strong support from the National Rifle Association, =
tried to bar the federal government from using funds to implement the =
Smith & Wesson deal.=20

Although Hostettler managed to get the House to approve an amendment to =
the Veterans Affairs-HUD appropriations bill doing just that, the =
measure was quietly dropped during later negotiations with the Senate.=20

The conservative lawmaker was more successful in preventing the Pentagon =
from participating in the program. Bush's installation in the West Wing =
has convinced Hostettler that now is the time to go further.=20

"There is strong bipartisan agreement that firearm purchases for the men =
and women protecting our communities should be based on merit, not =
politics," Hostettler said.=20

The Democrats who signed onto the Hostettler-Bartlett letter are: Reps. =
Peter DeFazio (Ore.), Gene Green (Texas), Ralph Hall (Texas), Collin =
Peterson (Minn.), Nick Rahall (W.Va.), Max Sandlin (Texas), Ronnie Shows =
(Miss.), Charlie Stenholm (Texas), Ted Strickland (Ohio) and James =
Traficant (Ohio).=20

HUD officials have taken no action on the issue yet because many of the =
department's political appointees still need to be approved by the =
Senate. One HUD official said it might take Martinez several weeks, at =
the earliest, to make a decision.=20

However, pro-gun-control lawmakers, such as Rep. Carolyn McCarthy =
(D-N.Y.), are upset at Hostettler's latest campaign to undercut the =
agreement with Smith & Wesson and are vowing to pressure Martinez.=20

"I don't understand what they're problem is," McCarthy said. "As =
Republicans, they're supposed to look at protecting states' rights. Here =
they're trying to take it away from them."=20

McCarthy added that pro-gun-control Members are planning their own =
offensive for tougher gun-sale laws, despite the fact that new gun =
restrictions will be tough to pass with Republicans running the White =
House and both chambers of Congress.=20

Soon after Congress returns from the Easter recess in April, McCarthy, =
along with Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), =
plans to introduce legislation calling for a 72-hour waiting period to =
conduct background searches following purchases made at gun shows.




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<DIV><FONT size=3D2><A=20
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DVerdana size=3D1>April 5, 2001</FONT>=20
<P><FONT face=3D"verdana, helvetica, arial"=20
size=3D3><B><!-- banner.txt end -->Members Take Aim at Smith &amp; =
Wesson Program=20
<P></FONT></B><FONT face=3D"verdana, helvetica, arial" size=3D2><B>House =

Republicans, With Help of 10 Democrats, Try to Reverse Clinton =
Administration's=20
Gun-Control Initiative</B>=20
<P>By <A href=3D"mailto:johnbresnahan@rollcall.com">John Bresnahan</A>=20
<P>Emboldened by the election of President Bush, a bipartisan group of =
Members=20
has asked the administration to end a controversial program giving =
preferential=20
treatment to gun manufacturer Smith &amp; Wesson.=20
<P>The request comes as several House and Senate Democrats, ignoring =
claims that=20
the party's focus on gun control hurt it at the polls last November, are =

preparing to reignite the gun debate when Congress returns from the =
two-week=20
Easter recess.=20
<P>Led by Reps. John Hostettler (R-Ind.) and Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.), =
100=20
Members sent a letter to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Mel =
Martinez=20
last month asking that he halt a program in which the department =
encourages=20
state and local agencies to purchase Smith &amp; Wesson handguns.=20
<P>The program, the Communities for Safer Guns Coalition, was started by =

then-HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo after Smith &amp; Wesson agreed in March =
2000 to=20
meet tougher safety standards for handgun sales. Those new standards =
were=20
opposed by all of the other major gun makers.=20
<P>"We believe, and are hopeful that you will concur, that HUD has more =
than=20
enough challenges in its efforts to create opportunities in the areas of =
home=20
ownership, low-income housing assistance and the enforcement of the =
nation's=20
fair housing laws," said the March 1 letter, which was signed by 10 =
Democrats.=20
<P>"Moreover, HUD's mission should not include activities that will, =
among other=20
issues, result in our law enforcement officers' weapon selection being =
based on=20
political concerns rather than merit. We urge you, therefore, to put a =
halt to=20
former Secretary Cuomo's unauthorized program as soon as possible."=20
<P>The program, under which HUD signed up nearly 600 communities, was =
created=20
after Smith &amp; Wesson inked a deal with then-President Bill Clinton =
under=20
which the Massachusetts-based firm agreed to abide by more stringent =
safety=20
regulations, including mandatory gun locks for new weapon sales.=20
<P>In return, the Clinton administration successfully pressured =
municipal=20
authorities in Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Boston and other cities to =
drop=20
Smith &amp; Wesson from lawsuits against the gun industry. Officials in =
those=20
cities are attempting to recoup some of the costs of gun violence from =
gun=20
manufacturers through legal actions. The lawsuits have been bitterly =
opposed by=20
pro-gun groups.=20
<P>As a further bonus, Clinton promised to give Smith &amp; Wesson =
preferential=20
treatment in federal handgun purchases, such as those for =
housing-authority=20
police forces that use HUD funds, as well as use the federal =
government's=20
influence to convince state and local governments to do the same.=20
<P>Lawmakers such as Hostettler were outraged over the program, seeing =
it as a=20
backhanded attempt by Clinton and Cuomo (now a candidate in the New York =

gubernatorial race) to enforce stricter requirements on the gun industry =
than=20
had been approved by Congress. A series of legislative skirmishes broke =
out last=20
summer as Hostettler and other pro-gun lawmakers, with strong support =
from the=20
National Rifle Association, tried to bar the federal government from =
using funds=20
to implement the Smith &amp; Wesson deal.=20
<P>Although Hostettler managed to get the House to approve an amendment =
to the=20
Veterans Affairs-HUD appropriations bill doing just that, the measure =
was=20
quietly dropped during later negotiations with the Senate.=20
<P>The conservative lawmaker was more successful in preventing the =
Pentagon from=20
participating in the program. Bush's installation in the West Wing has =
convinced=20
Hostettler that now is the time to go further.=20
<P>"There is strong bipartisan agreement that firearm purchases for the =
men and=20
women protecting our communities should be based on merit, not =
politics,"=20
Hostettler said.=20
<P>The Democrats who signed onto the Hostettler-Bartlett letter are: =
Reps. Peter=20
DeFazio (Ore.), Gene Green (Texas), Ralph Hall (Texas), Collin Peterson =
(Minn.),=20
Nick Rahall (W.Va.), Max Sandlin (Texas), Ronnie Shows (Miss.), Charlie =
Stenholm=20
(Texas), Ted Strickland (Ohio) and James Traficant (Ohio).=20
<P>HUD officials have taken no action on the issue yet because many of =
the=20
department's political appointees still need to be approved by the =
Senate. One=20
HUD official said it might take Martinez several weeks, at the earliest, =
to make=20
a decision.=20
<P>However, pro-gun-control lawmakers, such as Rep. Carolyn McCarthy =
(D-N.Y.),=20
are upset at Hostettler's latest campaign to undercut the agreement with =
Smith=20
&amp; Wesson and are vowing to pressure Martinez.=20
<P>"I don't understand what they're problem is," McCarthy said. "As =
Republicans,=20
they're supposed to look at protecting states' rights. Here they're =
trying to=20
take it away from them."=20
<P>McCarthy added that pro-gun-control Members are planning their own =
offensive=20
for tougher gun-sale laws, despite the fact that new gun restrictions =
will be=20
tough to pass with Republicans running the White House and both chambers =
of=20
Congress.=20
<P>Soon after Congress returns from the Easter recess in April, =
McCarthy, along=20
with Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), plans to =
introduce=20
legislation calling for a 72-hour waiting period to conduct background =
searches=20
following purchases made at gun shows.</P>
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