For Immediate Release
October 14, 2004
Remarks by President Bush and Senator Kerry in the Third
2004 Presidential Debate
Arizona State University — Tempe, Arizona
6:00 P.M. MST MODERATOR: Mr. President, new question, two minutes.
You said that if Congress would vote to extend the ban
on assault weapons that you'd sign the legislation. But
you did nothing to encourage the Congress to extend it.
Why not?
PRESIDENT BUSH: Actually, I made my intentions — I made
my views clear. I did think we ought to extend the assault
weapons ban, and was told the fact that the bill was
never going to move because Republicans and Democrats
were against the assault weapon ban, people of both parties.
Now, I believe law-abiding citizens ought to be able
to own a gun. I believe in background checks at gun shows
or anywhere to make sure that guns don't get in the hands
of people that shouldn't have them. But the best way
to protect our citizens from guns is to prosecute those
who commit crimes with guns. And that's why, early in
my administration, I called the Attorney General and
the U.S. attorneys and said put together a task force
all around the country to prosecute those who commit
crime with guns. And the prosecutions are up by about
68 percent, I believe is the number. Neighborhoods are
safer when we crack down on people who commit crimes
with guns. To me, that's the best way to secure America.
MODERATOR: Senator.
SENATOR KERRY: I believe it was a failure of presidential
leadership not to reauthorize the assault weapons ban.
I am a hunter. I'm a gun owner. I've been a hunter since
I was a kid, 12, 13 years old. And I respect the Second
Amendment and I will not tamper with the Second Amendment.
But I'll tell you this. I'm also a former law en-forcement
officer. I ran one of the largest district attorney offices
in America, one of the ten largest. I put people behind
bars for the rest of their life. I've broken up organized
crime. I know something about prosecuting. And most of
the law enforcement agencies in America wanted that assault
weapons ban. They don't want to go into a drug bust and
be facing an AK-47.
I was hunting in Iowa last year with the sheriff from
one of the counties there and he pointed to a house in
back of us and said, see that house over there? We just
did a drug bust a week earlier, and the guy we arrested
had an AK-47 lying on the bed right beside him.
Because of the President's decision today, law enforcement
officers will walk into a place that will be more dangerous.
Terrorists can now come into America and go to a gun
show, and without even a background check, buy an assault
weapon today. And that's what Osama bin Laden's handbook
said — because we captured it in Afghanistan and it encouraged
them to do it.
So I believe America is less safe. If Tom DeLay or someone
in the House said to me, sorry, we don't have the votes,
I'd have said, then we're going to have a fight. And
I'd have taken it out to the country and I'd have had
every law enforcement officer in the country visit those
congressmen. We'd have won what Bill Clinton won.
(...)
MODERATOR: Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Senator Kerry. Well, that brings
these debates to a close, but the campaign goes on. I want to wish both of
you the very best of luck between now and Election Day.
That's it for us from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. I'm Bob Schieffer
of CBS News. Good night, everyone. (Applause.)
END
7:30 P.M. MST |
