Senate Proceeding on Jul 22nd, 2009 :: 0:59:05 to 1:09:20
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0:59:02 to 0:59:22( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: tool against those criminals who are the problem. thank you, mr. president. i yield mr. durbin: how left on this side? th minutes and 34 seconds. mr. durbin: i yield 10 m to senator schumer york. the presiding officer: the senator from new york is is recognized.

0:59:05 to 1:09:20( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Charles Schumer

0:59:23 to 0:59:43( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: mr. schumer: well, thank you, mr. president. and i'd like to thank all of my colleagues who are whout objectioning witus on this amendment -- who are working with us on this andme the senator from california, who has been such a leader on these issues, who will speak after me, and she and i were commenting that this is probably the most dangerous piece of legislation to

0:59:44 to 1:00:06( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: it comes to guns since the repeal of the assault weapons ban, which she led the charge on to pass. i'd like to thank m colleague from new jersey, lautenberg, who has been a leader on gun issues and done such a great job, senator menendez, senator gillibrand, senator durbin, so many others who are working with u

1:00:07 to 1:00:27( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: this issue. today we're here to say that we urge all of our colleagues oppose this legislation. the legislation would do nothing less than take state and local gun laws and tear them up.

1:00:28 to 1:00:49( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: it would take the carefully crafted gun laws in new york and tear them up. it would do the same in 47 other ates. the great irony of this amendment lobby has always said, let the states decide. now

1:00:50 to 1:01:13( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: turn and saying, let the federal government decide, and impose the lowest common denominator when it comes to concealed weapons on all of the states except illinois and wisconsin which don't have any carry now we know the gun lobby is strong. we know there are many members on both sides of the aisle who

1:01:14 to 1:01:34( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: believe strongly in an individual's right to carry arms. but beyond the previous progun laws we have voted on this session. it is a prij to bridge too far. it threatens the safety of millions of americans particularly in urban and

1:01:35 to 1:01:57( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: suburban areas and directly thatens the safety of millions of new yorkers. and let me illustrate. our neighboring state of vermont -- a and i have great respect for it and its two senators -- is a rural state.

1:01:58 to 1:02:21( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: it has a strong libertarian belief. and it has a concealed carry law. the vermont law says that if you're 16 years of able you can apply for a gun license and you automatically get a concealed carry permit and you get the gun.

1:02:22 to 1:02:45( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: you simply have to -- that's all you have to do. can you imagine if this law passed what would happen? known gunrunners would vermont, get a gun a concealed carry permit, and they could bring

1:02:46 to 1:03:07( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: concealed in a backpack, in a suitcase, and bring them and sout bronx or central brooklyn, bring them to central park or queens and our local police would have their hands tied.

1:03:08 to 1:03:30( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: so one of the points i' make to my colleagues about this amendment, it endangers not only the citizenry but our police officers. today at about this time, the mayor of the city of new york and our police commissioner will be speaking out against this proposal. and our police commissioner is particularly upset because his

1:03:31 to 1:03:51( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: job is the safety of police ofcers. someone in a car they now have the safety and sanctity of mine mind to know to that person has a gun in their car it has been approved by the new york city police department. there are people who need to

1:03:52 to 1:04:16( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: carry guns for self-defense or other purposes. after this law passes they have no safety. in fact, they have no way. imagine you are a liver and police officer and

1:04:17 to 1:04:38( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: someone, they have? 47 states with different requirements. it is impossible to have this law in our larger urban for that are reason, mr. president, each state has carefully crafted its concealed carry laws in the way that makes

1:04:39 to 1:05:00( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: the most sense citizens. clearly, large urban areas like new york merit a different standard than rural areas like wyoming. to gut the ability of local policend sheriffs to determine who should be able to carry a concealed weapon makes no sense.

1:05:01 to 1:05:22( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: it could reverse the success we've had ineducing crime in most and that's one thing i want to stress. one of the thing of is what our governmen done over the last 20 years federal, state, local.

1:05:23 to 1:05:43( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: greatly reduced c my state of new york, people are no longer afraid to come live in new york. if you ask the experts, not me, have political beliefs that are different, ask police expert, a top reason we have been able to

1:05:44 to 1:06:04( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: reduce crime in our cities, and it's that we have had reasonable laws on guns. and we've allowed our larger, urban, more crime-ridden areas to have stricter laws than our rura i understand in my state of new york that guns are a way of life in large parts of the

1:06:05 to 1:06:26( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: i respect that. the heller decision is a decision i welcomed. i talked about the right to bear arms in the constitution. i believed in it even before heller. but you know, mr. president, and this is what i would to my friends on the other side

1:06:37 to 1:06:58( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: of the aisle and the n. regarding the amendments of the constitution, but no amendment is absolute. most of my colleagues size of the aisle support laws preventing the spread of pornography but that's an infringement to the first amendment but reasonable because there is a balancing test. most of my

1:06:59 to 1:07:19( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: of the aisle support libel laws if someone says something defamatory about a decision they have the right to sue -- of course. that's a limitation on amendment. we don't go against it. the concealed carry laws of the states are reasonable

1:07:20 to 1:07:40( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: the second amendment. and if you believe that the second amendment should have no limits, of course, you vote for this amendment. but then i would ask you the contrary question, some who are pro gun ask those of us would believe in more gun control: how is it that the second amendment

1:07:41 to 1:08:02( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: should have no limits but the first, should have limits? they thud have limits and if there is a balancing test, it is that each state should come up with their own conceal carry law.

1:08:03 to 1:08:24( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: so my colleagues, this is an amdment that i don't think anyone can be proud of. i understand the power of the gun lobby. i understand that we have different beliefs and represent different states. but we are not what south dakota should do.

1:08:25 to 1:08:45( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: why should south dakota say what new york or california should do? when i spoke, and i have great respect for the sponsor of this amendment, we were speaking in the gym yesterday among and said a problem he hears about in his area and i truck driver, in the cab of his truck, carries a gun and is allowed to carry a gun and why

1:08:46 to 1:09:06( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: should that truck drive when he crosses state line, going from south dakota or north dakota or minnesota be limited? well, i can understand th argument. but this amendment goes way beyond that. it doesn't talk about one weapon. it doesn't talk about a per who has been granted because he needs it for

1:09:07 to 1:09:20( Edit History Discussion )

Charles Schumer: protection as he commerces acro it is unlimited based on whatever the lowest common denominator state would do. this law is going to