WORKING TO CLOSE THE GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE

Gore Cast the Tie-Breaking Vote to Close the Gun Show Loophole. Vice President Gore cast the tie-breaking vote to pass Senate legislation to close the loophole in existing law that has allowed gun shows to be exempt from the Brady Law, and to require background checks on individuals who seek to retrieve their own guns from pawn shops. Following Gore’s dramatic vote, Sarah Brady of Handgun Control Inc. wrote to the Vice President thanking him for his “continued leadership,” stating that “…once again you have come through at a crucial time for the cause of gun violence protection.”

SUPPORTING A BAN ON ASSAULT WEAPONS

Gore Voted to Ban 9 Types of Assault Weapons. As a Senator in 1990 and 1991, Al Gore supported legislation that would have banned the manufacture and importation of nine assault style weapons.

Gore was Instrumental in Securing Passage of the 1994 Crime Bill. As Vice President, Gore fought to enact the landmark 1994 Crime Bill, which included a provision banning nineteen types of assault weapons. As Gore told CNN: “We've got an epidemic of violent crime and a lot of members of the NRA have told me, these assault weapons weren't made for hunting deer or squirrels or for homeowners...They shouldn't be in the hands of our children on the streets of our cities.”

SUPPORTING THE BRADY LAW

Gore Praised by Sarah Brady for His Leadership in Supporting Brady Bill. In 1991, Sarah Brady of Handgun Control Inc. praised then-Senator Al Gore for his leadership in supporting the Brady Bill. As an original cosponsor of the Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act, Gore worked with Senators Mitchell, Kohl, and Biden to craft a compromise that helped include Brady Bill as part of the 1991 Crime Bill. However, the Crime Bill died after a Republican-led filibuster of the bill.

Brady Bill Became Law Under the Clinton-Gore Administration. The Brady Bill was eventually enacted as a stand-alone bill during the Clinton-Gore Administration, helping to block the sale of more than 400,000 handguns.

SUPPORTING TOUGHER PENALTIES FOR GUN-RELATED CRIMES

Gore Cosponsored Mandatory Minimums for Use of “Cop Killer” Bullets. In 1984, Gore cosponsored a bill to impose mandatory 5-year terms for those using armor-piercing bullets during the commission of a federal crime. That same year, he also co-sponsored a bill to provide for mandatory 15-year sentences for “armed career criminals.”

Gore Supported Tougher Sentences for Criminals Using Guns to Commit Crimes. As a Senator, Gore voted for a proposal to establish mandatory minimums for those who use or possess a firearm during violent or drug-related crime. Later that year, Gore voted for the Omnibus Crime Control Act of 1991, which also included provisions to toughen penalties for using a gun during violent crimes and gun possession by felons.

Gore Supported the 1994 Crime Bill which Increased Penalties for Gun-Related Crimes. The Vice President was a vocal advocate of the landmark 1994 Crime Bill, which increased criminal penalties for a number of gun-related crimes. The 1994 law increased penalties for interstate gun trafficking, for using semiautomatic weapons in violent or drug trafficking offenses, and for making false statements when purchasing guns from federally licensed dealers. In addition, the law authorized the federal death penalty for murders committed with a gun during a federal drug or violent crime. Additionally, the 1994 Crime Bill strengthened federal requirements for obtaining a license to sell firearms.

WORKING TO REDUCE CHILDREN’S ACCESS TO GUNS

Gore Worked to Get Guns Out of Our Schools. In early 1994, Vice President Gore encouraged Congress to pass legislation that will help take guns out of schools. Congress later adopted, and the President signed, the Gun-Free Schools Act, which required all states that receive federal education funding to adopt policies requiring a mandatory 1-year expulsion for any student who brings a gun to school.

Fighting to Keep Handguns Out of the Hands of Our Youth. Vice President Gore and the Administration are fighting to pass the Youth Gun Crime Enforcement Act. This proposal by the Administration would:

• Raise the minimum age to possess a handgun from 18 to 21.
• CLOSE THE LOOPHOLE THAT ALLOWS THESE YOUTH TO PURCHASE A HANDGUN AT A GUN SHOW OR AN UNLICENSED DEALER EVEN THOUGH THEY COULD NOT DO SO FROM A LICENSED DEALER.
• Prohibit juveniles from possessing assault rifles and large capacity ammunition feeding devices that were manufactured before the effective date of the assault weapons ban in 1994. Current law only prohibits these youth from possessing assault pistols.

An Advocate for Child Safety Locks. For nearly two years, Al Gore has been advocating mandatory child safety locks to protect children from handguns. While the Administration reached an agreement with a majority of gun manufacturers to voluntarily include gun locks in the sale of new guns, Gore believes further protections are needed and should be required. That is why he has called upon Congress to pass legislation that would require all guns that are sold to have a child safety lock.

SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO BUY BULLET-PROOF VESTS

The Clinton-Gore Administration Helped Law Enforcement Receive Critical Bullet-Proof Vests. In 1997, Congress passed, and the President signed, the Bullet-proof Vest Partnership Grant Act to help state and local governments buy bullet-proof vests for their law enforcement officers. The Act authorizes up to $25 million a year for three years for a 50-50 matching grant program to help fund the purchase of the vests. In addition to encouraging Congress to pass the bullet-proof vest act, the Vice President has also called for legislation that will increase the sentence for federal crimes committed while wearing a bullet-proof vest.

STANDING UP TO THE GUN INDUSTRY

Gore Supports the Rights of Cities to Hold the Gun Industry Responsible. Vice President Gore supports the rights of local governments to sue gun manufacturers and sellers. Over the past year, several local governments – including New Orleans, Chicago, Atlanta, and Miami-Dade County – have filed lawsuits attempting to hold the gun industry responsible for the damage created by their products.