The Brady Bill

-1993: Congress cleared legeslation restricting the sale of guns to law abiding citizens

Important Provisions:

-Requires a five day waiting period before a gun can be purchased

-Gives the police time to check prosepctive buyer’s criminal record

-Final bill lifted the waiting period after five years after enactment, believed that instant backround check would be available

-Bill gave $200 millon annualy in grants to help states computerize their criminal records

-Required that police be notified of any multiple gun purchase

-Raised licensing fees for gun dealers

-Former White House Press Secretary James S. Brady and other gun control advocates lobbied for over seven years

•James Brady was perminately disabled by gunman who attempted to kill Ronald Reagan in 1981

-Efforts were blocked by gun rights groups led by the NRA

-Growing public support and Bill Clinton helped pass the bill

Arguments Against the Bill:

-NRA members believed it was the first step towards restrictive gun control laws

-Hunting

-Target Shooting

-Home Defense

-Tougher laws were enacted the following year banning assault weapons

-Supporters of the bill also pushed for more restrictive bans on handguns in 1994

Arguments For the Bill

•Would prevent thousands of homocides and suicides by keeping guns away from dangerous classess of people

•Felons•People in crisis

•Would help prevent gun crimes

The Judiciary Committee

-Clinton included Brady Bill as part of anticrime package that he propsed in 1993

-House Judiciary Chairman Jack Brooks

•proposed five day waiting period, instant check system, $100 million to states

•agreed to let the bill move seperatly from the rest of the package, which was stalled in congress because of opposition from conservative republicans

-Bill was passed by the Judiciary Committee on Nov. 4, 23-12

The House and Senate

•Bill was passed by the House 238-189• Included amendments requiring police to give notice withing 20 days of why a purchaser was denyed and the phasing out after five years

•Guns rights advocates threatened a fillibuster in the Senate, and the motion to stop the fillibuster was three votes shy

•Assistant Minority Leader Alan K. Simpson decided that Republicans wanted to vote on the bill

-One change was made, making the five year period four years with the option to extend it to five again

•Bill passed in the Senate 63-36