"We stood up to the gun lobby, to pass the Brady Bill and ban deadly assault weapons. We didn't take a single gun away from a single hunter or sportsman - but we stopped nearly half a million felons, fugitives, and stalkers from buying guns." - Al Gore

As a member of Congress and as Vice President, Al Gore has fought to keep dangerous guns out of the hands of criminals while protecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners. He has supported a ban on assault weapons, worked to pass the Brady Bill, and fought to close the gun show loophole - so that everyone who wants to buy a handgun has to prove that they are legally eligible. In addition, Gore has been a vocal advocate for keeping guns out of our schools and requiring child safety locks on all new guns. As President, Gore would require every handgun buyer obtain a photo license, after passing a background check and safety test; ban so-called "junk guns" specifically made and sold for crime; and raise the minimum age of gun ownership from 18 to 21. He would also take steps to oppose efforts to provide special protection for gun manufactures and fight against efforts to loosen existing limits on concealed weapons.

TOUGHER LAW ENFORCEMENT

• Increase Gun-Related Criminal Penalties: Al Gore will work to increase penalties for gun-related crimes, including the use of a gun in a violent crime, illegal gun trafficking, and for knowingly selling a gun to someone ineligible to purchase one. In addition, Al Gore will provide grants to states to develop systems that will help to end plea-bargaining for criminals who use a gun in a crime.
• Grants to Help Communities Crack Down on Gun Criminals: Al Gore proposes creating a new national grant program to help all interested communities build tough gun enforcement programs through hiring additional federal, state or local gun prosecutors, and funding local media campaigns to advertise the tough penalties for breaking gun laws. Communities would receive more resources for federal gun prosecution or to build their own tough gun enforcement programs.
• More Gun Prosecutors and Federal Agents: Al Gore supports the Administration's proposal to fund over 1,000 federal, state and local gun prosecutors and 500 new ATF firearms agents and inspectors to get gun criminals off the street and put them behind bars. He will fight for new ATF agents and inspectors to crack down on violent gun criminals, illegal gun traffickers, and unscrupulous dealers that supply firearms to criminals and juveniles, and help states and local communities hire more gun prosecutors.
• Improve Efforts to Trace Gun Ownership: Al Gore will require gun manufacturers and federally-licensed sellers to report gun sales to a state authority. He will also support the development of "supertracing" technology. These measures would greatly assist law enforcement in tracing ownership of guns if they are used in a crime.
• Ban Concealed Weapons from Houses of Worship: Churches, synagogues, mosques and other houses of worship should be havens from the threat of gun violence. Al Gore supports banning concealed weapons in houses of worship to protect worshipers and make police officers' jobs easier.
• Oppose Weakening Restrictions on Concealed Weapons: Al Gore will oppose efforts to loosen existing limits on concealed weapons.

GETTING GUNS OUT OF THE HANDS OF CRIMINALS

• Require Photo Licensing for Handgun Purchases: Al Gore will seek a nationally mandated, state-run system of photo licensing for all potential handgun purchasers. Under the Gore proposal, anyone who wants to buy a handgun would have to obtain a license proving they are eligible to own a handgun - after having passed a background check to prevent felons from buying guns and demonstrated knowledge of gun safety. The photo licensing would also keep guns away from children who are not old enough to own or possess a handgun.
• Ban "Junk Guns": Al Gore believes that we should ban so-called "junk guns," the cheap handguns so often used in violent crimes.
• Limit Gun Sales to One-a-Month and Require a Three-Day Waiting Period for Purchases: Al Gore believes that a one-gun-a-month limit and a three-day waiting period for gun purchases are reasonable measures that can help reduce the number of guns on the street.
• Close the Gun Show Loophole: Since its enactment during the Clinton-Gore Administration, the Brady Law has helped to block the sale of more than 536,000 guns to felons, fugitives and domestic abusers. In May 1999, Al Gore cast the tie-breaking Senate vote to close the gunshow loopholes, but powerful interests have kept Congress from enacting this common-sense measure. Al Gore will continue to fight to close the loophole that exempts guns shows and unlicensed dealers from the Brady Law, allowing them to sell guns without a background check. His proposal would require background checks for all guns sold at gunshows.
• Oppose Special Legal Protections for Gun Manufacturers: 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. Al Gore supports the rights of local governments to sue gun manufacturers and sellers. As President, Gore will oppose efforts to provide special legal protections for gun manufacturers.

PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM GUNS

• Require Child-Safety Locks on Hand Guns: 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. In an effort to save the lives of thousands of children, Al Gore will work to require that all guns sold have a child-safety lock.
• Raising the Minimum Age for Guns: Al Gore would fight to raise the minimum age to possess a handgun from 18 to 21.
• Close the gun show loophole for underage children: Al Gore would fight to close the gun show loophole that allows underage individuals to purchase a handgun at a gun show or an unlicensed dealer even though they could not do so from a licensed dealer.
• Ban Juveniles from Possessing Assault Weapons: The gun laws should 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.
• Zero Tolerance for Guns in Schools: Gore supports Gun-Free Schools, 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. As President, he will build on that record, insisting on a policy of zero tolerance toward guns in our schools. In addition, Gore has fought Republican efforts to slash funding for the Safe and Drug Free Schools program, which has assisted anti-drug efforts in our nation's schools.
• Extend the Brady Law to Violent Juveniles: Although violent youth convicted in adult courts are barred from owning firearms as adults, the same is not true for youth convicted of serious violent crimes in juvenile court. Violent juveniles should be treated as adults for their adult crimes, and stopped from getting weapons to hurt. Al Gore supports legislation to permanently ban all violent juveniles from buying guns, so that they cannot purchase a gun on their 21st birthday.
• Photo Licensing: Gore's proposal to require every new handgun buyer to obtain a photo license will help keep guns out of the hands of children.

Source: Al Gore for President 2000 Web Site