Dole Lambastes Clinton’s Call for Tough Gun Laws

Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole blasted President Clinton Friday for his enthusiastic support of far-reaching gun-control measures, contending that the President should instead be backing tougher penalties for criminals and more prison construction.

The criticism by the Kansas lawmaker--his first since Clinton’s recent comments on licensing gun owners and other aggressive measures to curb gun ownership--indicated that the Republican leadership would move to stop proposals on the subject in Congress.

“Unfortunately, the President is squandering a golden opportunity with his recent public statements in support of new gun-control initiatives,” Dole said in a statement.

“The President is putting the cart before the horse,” Dole added. “It’s time the President stands up and voices his support for a bill that would really get tough on crime and criminals.”

Dole argued that Clinton should give his blessing to hard-line anti-crime legislation approved by the Senate rather than less comprehensive measures that passed the House before Congress adjourned. A Senate-House conference is expected to reconcile the differences early next year.

The final version of the bill was certain to include Clinton’s proposal to put 100,000 more police officers on the streets, forbid virtually everyone under 18 to possess a handgun and strengthen laws to deter violence against women.

With public sentiment growing in favor of some--but not all--additional gun-control proposals, Democrats and Republicans are confronting a trickier challenge on how to adopt a position on the issue. Sentiment among conservatives and in rural areas, long solid behind an unobstructed right to gun ownership, seems to be in flux.

With Clinton and the Republican leadership moving in different directions, a confrontation appears likely when the Senate and House vote on the final version of a crime bill that may include provisions strongly opposed by the National Rifle Assn., the leading gun lobby.

Dole and his allies contended during the lengthy Senate debate over crime legislation that more severe and certain sentences for criminals, together with new federal laws imposing harsh penalties on gun-wielding criminals, would be more effective than new limitations on gun purchases or a ban on combat-style assault weapons.

Clinton, along with gun-control advocates in Congress, argued that existing laws are too weak at a time when gun violence appears to be exploding and deaths by gunfire dominate the daily news.

However, after hearing similar proposals from Republican Mayor Richard Riordan of Los Angeles and GOP Mayor-elect Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York City, the President appeared to be operating on political instinct when he suggested considering plans for gun licensing and for mandatory safety courses for gun buyers.

Dole listed several provisions of the Senate-passed bill that he said deserved Clinton’s vocal support, including mandatory minimum penalties for those who commit crimes using guns, a three-time loser provision imposing life imprisonment without parole for federal conviction of a third violent crime and construction of 10 new regional prisons.

“The American people deserve the toughest crime bill possible, not a watered-down version or ‘crime bill lite,’ as some members of Congress would prefer,” Dole said. “That’s why President Clinton should refocus his efforts and offer his public and unqualified support for the legislation that already has been endorsed by the United States Senate.”

Dole also joined with Sen. Alfonse M. D’Amato (R-N.Y.) in a letter to Clinton asking that he endorse all the provisions of the Senate-passed crime bill, which the GOP leaders termed “perhaps the toughest anti-crime bill ever considered by Congress.”

They noted that one section of the bill called “truth in sentencing” would require that violent criminals serve at least 85% of their prison sentences.

“Indeed, if truth in sentencing were a reality today, Polly Klaas would still have a childhood and a future: Press reports indicate that her alleged murderer was a twice-convicted kidnaper who was paroled after serving just eight years of a 16-year sentence,” Dole and D’Amato wrote.