May 18, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6941

Russell Senate Office Building on S.

479, a bill to provide for administrative

procedures to extend Federal recognition to certain Indian groups.

Those wishing additional information

should contact the Committee on Indian Affairs at 224–2251.

AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO

fMEET

COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL

RESOURCES

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on

Energy and Natural Resources be

granted permission to meet during the

session of the Senate on Thursday,

May 18, 1995, for purposes of conducting

a full committee hearing which is

scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony on administration of timber contracts in the Tongass National Forest,

and administration of the Tongass

Timber Reform Act of 1990.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Finance Committee be permitted to meet Thursday,

May 18, 1995, beginning at 9:30 a.m. in

room SD–215, to conduct a hearing on

various flat tax proposals.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on

Foreign Relations be authorized to

meet during the session of the Senate

on Thursday, May 18, 1995, at 10 a.m.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent on behalf of the Governmental Affairs Committee to meet on

Thursday, May 18, 1995, at 10 a.m., for

a hearing on Executive Reorganization:

Various Proposals.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on

Indian Affairs be authorized to meet on

Thursday, May 18, 1995, beginning at

9:30 a.m. in room 485 of the Russell

Senate Office Building on the recommendations of the Joint DOI/BIA/

Tribal Task Force on Reorganization of

the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on

the Judiciary be authorized to hold a

business meeting during the session of

the Senate on Thursday, May 18, 1995.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on

Small Business be authorized to meet

during the session of the Senate on

Thursday, May 18, 1995, at 9:30 a.m., in

room SD–628, to conduct a hearing focusing on the Small Business Administration’s 7(a) Business Loan Program.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

COMMITTEE ON RULES AND ADMINISTRATION

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on

Rules and Administration be authorized to meet during the session of the

Senate on Thursday, May 18, 1995, at

9:30 a.m., to hold a hearing to receive

testimony on the Smithsonian Institution: Management Guidelines for the

Future.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY PRODUCTION AND

REGULATION

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee

on Energy Production and Regulation

of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be granted permission to

meet during the session of the Senate

on Thursday, May 18, 1995, for purposes

of conducting a subcommittee hearing

which is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive

testimony on S. 283, a bill to provide

for the extension of the deadline under

the Federal Power Act applicable to

two hydroelectric projects in Pennsylvania, and for other purposes; S. 468,

a bill to provide for the extension of

the deadline under the Federal Power

Act applicable to the construction of a

hydroelectric project in Ohio, and for

other purposes; S. 543, a bill to provide

for the extension of the deadline under

the Federal Power Act applicable to

the construction of a hydroelectric

project in Oregon and for other purposes; S. 547, a bill to provide for the

extension of the deadlines applicable to

certain hydroelectric projects under

the Federal Power Act, and for other

purposes; S. 549, a bill to provide for

the extension of the deadline under the

Federal Power Act applicable to the

construction of three hydroelectric

projects in the State of Arkansas, S.

552, a bill to provide for the refurbishment and continued operation of a

small hydroelectric facility in central

Montana by adjusting the amount of

charges to be paid to the United States

under the Federal Power Act and for

other purposes; S. 595, a bill to provide

for the extension of a hydroelectric

project located in the State of West

Virginia; and S. 611, a bill to provide

for the extension of the time limitation for a FERC-issued hydroelectric

license.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

SUBCOMMITTEE ON SEAPOWER

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee

on Seapower of the Committee on

Armed Services be authorized to meet

at 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 18, 1995, in

open session, to receive testimony on

the U.S. Marine Corps program and

current operations in review of S. 727,

the National Defense Authorization

Act for Fiscal Year 1996 and the future

years defense program.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

SUBCOMMITTEE ON STRATEGIC FORCES

Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee

on Strategic Forces of the Committee

on Armed Services be authorized to

meet at 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 18,

1995, in open and closed session, to receive testimony on bomber force issues

in review of S. 727, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year

1996, and the future years defense program.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without

objection, it is so ordered.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

fFEDERAL GUN DEALER LICENSE

ABUSES

∑ Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, today, I

would like to share an important Chicago Sun-Times article with my colleagues. It examines yet another example of the sometimes deadly link between federally licensed firearms dealer and the sale of weapons to criminals.

James L. Bush, of Bolingbrook, IL, a

federally licensed gun dealer, has

pleaded guilty to selling 350 guns to

criminals. To make extra money, he

and a friend used a grinding stone attached to an electric drill to erase the

guns’ serial numbers, and then sold

those guns to gang members and drug

dealers in the market for guns. Those

guns were then added to the explosion

of weapons on the streets of our communities. Mr. Bush’s case reminds me

of the 1992 arrest of James Board of

Highland, IN, who police say sold more

than 1,000 guns to Chicago street gangs.

At least 50 of those guns have been recovered from crime scenes, according

to an ATF spokesman.

Certainly, Mr. Bush is responsible for

his criminal actions, but we should not

disregard the fact that since receiving

his license in January 1990, he heard

from an ATF agent only once. In Illinois, 15 ATF inspectors must monitor

6,529 federally licensed firearms dealers. These inspectors are overburdened

and underfunded. Given the evident

connection between unmonitored licensees and the presence of illegal

weapons on our streets, we must ensure

that licensees undergo sufficient scrutiny to detect such criminal activity.

That is why I sponsored Federal firearms dealer license reforms last year.

As a result of my reforms, Federal firearms licenses now require a photograph

and fingerprints, dealers are required

to comply with State and local laws,

and the ATF now has 60 days, instead

of 45, to investigate before granting a

license. Additional reforms raised the

licensing fee from a mere $30 to $200.

As a result of these common-sense reforms, there is some good news. Since
S6942 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 18, 1995

licensing reform was enacted in December 1993, the number of dealers in

the United States has dropped from

283,000 to 239,000 in December 1994. For

the first time in years, according to

the Violence Policy Center, there are

now more gas stations than gun dealers

in this country.

Opponents of gun control legislation

say that measures such as these make

no difference in crime and the flow of

illegal weapons. Even supporters of gun

control legislation often dismiss these

type of reforms as too small, too narrow, and insufficient to address such

overwhelming problems.

Clearly, these reforms do not solve

our problems with violence and crime.

But there should no longer be any

doubt that small steps make a big difference. The struggle to free our communities from rampant gun violence

will only be won with commitment, determination and measures just like

these. I ask that the article be printed

in the RECORD.

The article follows:

CONFESSIONS OF A GUN RUNNER; HOW

SUBURBANITE SUPPLIED CHICAGO GANG

(By Alex Rodriguez)

Easy money, James L. Bush thought to

himself. Buy a gun for $100, sell it for $250 on

the streets. And in the bullet-scarred neighborhoods of the West Side, customers

weren’t hard to find.

So several times last winter Bush—suburbanite, homeowner and father of two—

drove to the city and sold boxes of guns to

the Vice Lords street gang. He drove away

with a wallet stuffed with cash.

Getting the guns wasn’t a problem. Bush

owned a federal firearms dealer license,

about as easy to get as a library card.

‘‘It was very easy to abuse the system,’’

Bush, 39, said during a recent interview at

his home in Bolingbrook. A federal judge

will sentence him this summer on a conviction of illegal delivery of firearms.

‘‘There are probably people out there doing

it right now,’’ he continued, ‘‘but they just

haven’t gotten caught.’’

Just how significant a role crooked federal

firearms dealers play in the availability of

guns to criminals is hard to measure, federal

officials say. Most federal firearms dealers

don’t break the law, and law enforcement

agencies don’t keep statistics on those who

do.

Still, the access to volume that comes with

the license means that just one crooked firearms dealer can become a street gang’s conduit for hundreds, even thousands of guns,

federal law enforcement officials say. Bush

supplied gang members and drug dealers

with more than 350 guns before federal

agents arrested him in February. In 1992, federal agents arrested James Board of Highland, Ind., who police say sold more than

1,000 guns to Chicago street gangs.

At least 50 of those guns have been recovered from crime scenes, said Jerry Singer,

spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol,

Tobacco and Firearms. Board pleaded guilty

to one count of illegal firearms delivery and

was sentenced to 21 months in jail.

The federal government has responded by

tightening regulations governing the issuance of federal firearms licenses.

Before the changes, anyone could obtain a

federal firearms license by paying $30 and

filling out a one-page application.

With that license, they could buy and sell

large numbers of guns across state lines—

from home if they wanted. They could buy in

volume because they bought wholesale.

License holders can still do all that, but

now applicants must pay $200 for a license,

submit fingerprints and live in a town without laws prohibiting gun dealerships.

Gun proponents have decried the new regulations as unnecessary and misguided.

‘‘We see (ATF) as committed to driving

down the number of federal firearms license

holders as a ploy to drive down lawful gun

ownership,’’ said Mary Sue Faulkner,

spokeswoman for the National Rifle Association. ‘‘It’s like gun control. There are already plenty of laws on the books to enforce.’’

ATF officials, however, say the new regulations are needed to pare down the universe of

license holders. One reason the agency struggles to ferret out crooked firearms dealers is

that it isn’t armed with enough inspectors to

monitor them.

In Illinois, 15 inspectors must cover 6,529

federally licensed firearms dealers along

with countless other duties, including making sure distilleries, breweries and wineries

pay federal liquor taxes.

‘‘It’s a very difficult job, when you have

that few inspectors for that many federal

firearms licenses,’’ Singer said. ‘‘There’s

only so much resources to go around.’’

If the goal is fewer dealers, the new regulations are working. Before December, 1993,

when the federal government raised the application fee from $30 to $200, ATF had to

oversee some 284,000 license holders nationwide. Nine months later, the number of licensed dealers dropped to around 255,000.

Then in September, Congress enacted new

rules that required applicants to submit fingerprints, notify their local police chief of

their application and certify that their dealership isn’t prohibited by local law.

Since then, the number of licensed dealers

has dropped to 223,476. By 1997, ATF officials

predict the number of licensed dealers will

dwindle to 80,000.

‘‘Maybe by 1997 we’ll have a more manageable universe,’’ said ATF spokesman Michael

Fitzgerald.

Bush only heard once from the ATF after

getting his federal firearms license in January, 1990. An agent visited him February,

1993, to review his records. Later that month,

the agency renewed his license.

At the time, Bush was a Chicago Transit

Authority purchasing clerk living with his

family in a $180,000 house in Bolingbrook,

but struggling to erase a $40,000 debt from a

failed laundromat business, according to

Bush and court documents.

In September, 1994, an acquaintance of

Bush—not named in court documents—offered to find Bush gang members and drug

dealers in the market for guns, court records

showed. The two agreed to split the profits.

According to court records, Bush sold 350

guns to criminals, at first with the help of

his friend—a driver with United Parcel Service—and later on his own. The two used a

grinding stone attached to a cordless drill to

erase the guns’ serial numbers.

Bush was arrested Feb. 2 after selling 47

guns to an undercover ATF agent. He pleaded guilty April 4 and faces sentencing in

July.

Bush, who is black, says he wrestles daily

with the knowledge that he sold guns in

mostly black neighborhoods under siege

from gangs for decades.

‘‘I know it wasn’t right,’’ Bush said. ‘‘They

were going in the hands of gang-bangers, and

it was mostly black-on-black crime. Maybe

by me getting busted, that was God’s way to

tell me to stop.’’

As a federally licensed firearms dealer,

James L. Bush supplied West Side gang

members with more than 350 guns before

U.S. agents arrested him in February, seizing dozens of weapons. The Bolingbrook resident was convicted in April of illegal fireCHELSEA NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSarms delivery.

ING SERVICES, INC., AND CITI-

∑

fZENS BANK OF MASSACHUSETTS

∑ Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I rise to

commend Chelsea Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. [CNHS], and Citizens

Bank of Massachusetts [Citizens],

which were nationally recognized for

their exceptional partnership achievements by the Social Compact in its 1995

Outstanding Community Investment

Awards Program Tuesday night. Together, CNHS and Citizens have developed a unique pilot program that helps

former low-income renters become

homeowners and building managers.

The two organizations have designed

this successful program specifically to

meet the needs of low-income residents

in Chelsea, MA.

Chelsea, historically a city of immigrants, has a population that often is

the last hired and the first fired. Consequently, when the State of Massachusetts experienced a severe economic

downturn in the early 1990’s, Chelsea’s

residents were greatly affected. This

population, with a per capita income of

less than $8,600, is unable to accumulate savings for downpayments or closing costs for home purchases, even

when working overtime or holding two

jobs. Nevertheless, despite the problems, many residents are determined to

stay in Chelsea and buy their own

homes.

Citizens—formerly known as Boston

Five—originally approached CNHS to

discuss a collaboration because it

wanted to increase loans in Chelsea

and create a successful program that

could be replicated in other cities.

When CNHS and Citizens designed rentto-own, they carefully considered the

needs of Chelsea residents. They recognized that additional financial assistance would be needed for first-time

homehbuyers in order for them to have

downpayments and meet closing cost

requirements. Triple-decker properties,

three-story buildings with a two-bedroom apartment on the ground floor

and two three-bedroom apartments upstairs, provided part of the answer. The

income from rental units helps decrease the barrier to homeownership.

To qualify for the program, the potential managers/buyers must commit to a

3-year program that requires them to

attend monthly training sessions and

learn how to be good landlords. In return for their work and training, they

receive 100 points a month and are

docked if absent from training or if

they do not fulfill management responsibilities. At the end of each year, the

points earned are converted to a maximum of $1,200 and deposited to an escrow account at Citizens Bank. After 2

years, the account’s balance—potentially $2,400—is considered the manager/buyer’s cash downpayment toward

the average purchase price of $120,000

for his or her home.