Capitol Journal - Gun Control
Capitol Journal - Gun Control
Capitol Journal - Gun Control
Capitol Journal - Gun Control
Back to TV studio where Carter segues to discussion he had earlier with Representatives Harold Volkmer and William Hughes who have each sponsored their own bills revising gun control, Representatives discuss their respective bills and give their divergent takes on the NRA.
Capitol Journal - Gun Control
Hodding Carter, Congressman Volkmer, I think in some ways the burden is on you because the number of organizations that are officially behind this version or were against what came out of the Senate. Harold Volkmer (D - Missouri), Yes, what came out of the Senate is not what is being proposed by me on the Floor. Another thing I d like to point out, is that the law enforcement organizations as such, that are opposing it, doesn t necessarily mean that law enforcement officials all over the United States take the same position, specifically in my district I had a number go out publicly for my position that are sheriffs, that are chiefs of police, etc. And therefore, I feel that this idea that all law enforcement is opposed is not quite accurate. William Hughes (D - New Jersey), Well, first I think that Harold is absolutely right. I think that he has made some major improvements in the substitute. I think the hearing process worked. We pointed out a number of major flaws in the so-called McClure-Volkmer Bill and many of those have been changed. There are a number of other provisions however, serious provisions, that present a direct threat to police officers.
Capitol Journal - Gun Control
Hodding Carter, Is there a question in either of your minds as to whether or not the very effective lobbying of the NRA actually represents indeed a majority feeling of the American people? Is the NRA representative of the larger view? William Hughes (D - New Jersey), Well, I can tell you that the NRA is out of step with the vast majority of people. Their efforts to bully and intimidate their way into the decision making process has been counter-productive. They don t represent the views of the vast majority of citizens who want to balance the interest of the sportsmen against the interests of society to be able to protect themselves from those that abuse weapons.
Capitol Journal - Gun Control
Hodding Carter, And that, I don t think, fits your description of the NRA at all. Harold Volkmer (D - Missouri), It doesn t fit my description. I think the NRA truly represents the feeling of the majority of people in my district, in my area, especially in the Mid West and the West. There is no question in my mind that the majority of the people in my district strongly support what I m doing here in this regard. That they don t believe in strong gun control legislation. That they do feel that law-abiding citizens should have the right to acquire a gun, whether it is a hand gun, a rifle, or a shot gun.
Capitol Journal - Gun Control
William Hughes (D - New Jersey), I believe that people have a right to own, posses hand guns. I, first of all, for many years hunted with my father and my family. So, I m sensitive to those concerns. And the NRA, at one time, was concerned about hunting, and training. They ve done a great deal of good work trying to sensitize hunters to important things that hunters are confronted with. Trying to increase our sensitivity to our need to conserve. But unfortunately over the last few years they ve become much more extremist, with regard to for instance with things like machine guns. Why would anybody have to own a machine gun? Why would anybody have to have a silencer? That s a contract murder type piece of equipment. And yet they oppose the banning of silencers.
Capitol Journal - Gun Control
Hodding Carter, On the issue of the measures themselves, what exactly is a prime issue between your two versions? How would you describe the issue? William Hughes (D - New Jersey), Well, there s about 8 different areas. I mentioned silencers. In our legislation we banned silencers. They have no sporting value. There is some language, and Harold is attempting to clean it up. I don t think he s done what we would like to see by way of machine guns kits, although he s developed some language, we think that can be improved. Harold would put guns and their restrictions above everything else. For instance, in order to convict a druggist of selling narcotic substances, we require a knowing standard. The Volkmer Bill would require a willful standard, which is a much higher standard. Hodding Carter, For sales to people who are otherwise not qualified to buy. William Hughes (D - New Jersey), That s right, unqualified people, felons and so forth. In addition to that, Harold would provide for interstate transportation of weapons, interstate sale of weapons. Transportation for instance, that would mean the individuals could carry an unloaded, inaccessible hand gun in their automobile for any purpose, interstate. Interstate begins in a state, so you have a state developing one standard for its residents, but anybody that claims they are interstate could carry the hand gun as long as it s not accessible. I don t know what accessible means.
Capitol Journal - Gun Control
Hodding Carter, That s a lot of issues and I want to stop it here and let you pick up on each of those before we go any further. Harold Volkmer (D - Missouri), Well I think we addressed the issue with the question of willfulness and knowingness . It is a difference between us. And we feel that because of past abuses by the ATF in the 70s, that we need this language as far willful violations against knowing violations. Hodding Carter, Why, because people were harassed? Harold Volkmer (D - Missouri), Yes. And I can go, if we had the time, I go into many instances where abuses were bought out in hearings the United States Senate. What amuses me is that the judiciary of the House never address those abuses, never had hearings on those abuses themselves, but the Senate did. And there s quite a bit of testimony on that. So that s were a lot of this legislation came about. It s because of those abuses. We don t feel that just because I own a rifle, shot gun, or hand gun that I ve given up my Civil Rights and that s basically what we re trying to address. As far as interstate transportation, yes. But we make sure in our legislation - in the substitute that you have to be a qualified person. You cannot be a felon or anything else and use this. You have to be a qualified person to transport a gun. I d like to point out that in April, one of the leading competitions, pistol competitions, is going to be held in my district in Missouri. And it s held there, it s been held there for several years. You wouldn t be able to hold that competition under Hughes bill. Hodding Carter, Because of the carrying guns across lines Harold Volkmer (D - Missouri), Sure. You couldn t take a hand gun. You couldn t get it in there. You couldn t even hold a competition. We want to say, look if I m qualified in both states, to purchase a hand gun. Well, Hughes says for rifle and shot gun, why not for a hand gun? William Hughes (D - New Jersey), Because present a major threat. Harold would open up Pandora s Box, the floodgates, because he would permit the sale, as long as the individual s not engaged in business, he would permit the proliferation of hand guns, which means terrorist organizations could buy hundreds and hundreds of hand guns, not keep any records, so we wouldn t have the ability to trace that hand gun in a commission of a crime. He would open up the floodgates. And we don t think that s in the public interest.