HUD No. 00-279 |
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October 2, 2000 |
SECRETARY CUOMO ADDRESSES SUMMIT ON SOLUTIONS TO GUN VIOLENCE
WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo delivered the
keynote address to the Summit on Gun Violence Solutions at the National Education Association
today, in celebration of First Monday 2000.
First Monday 2000 is a national day of action to end gun violence, which seeks to inspire nationwide
involvement on the issue of ending gun violence. Events are scheduled at 300 colleges and
universities.
"First Monday 2000 reflects the strength of the grassroots movement to end gun violence," Cuomo
said. "Ten children die each day from gun violence, yet Congress still refuses to pass common-sense
gun safety legislation. How much longer, as a national community, will we tolerate this situation?"
The Clinton Administration has undertaken a series of initiatives to reduce gun violence, including:
- More than 20,000 guns have been purchased and destroyed in 80 cities during the first year of
HUD’s Buyback America program, which the President announced last September as an
initiative to reduce gun-related deaths and injuries.
- In February, the President proposed to Congress a $280 million national firearms enforcement
initiative for fiscal year 2001. The money will be used to: hire 500 new agents and inspectors for
the Treasury Department’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; hire more than 1,000
prosecutors at all levels of government; fund new gun tracing and ballistics testing systems to
catch more criminals who use guns; fund local media campaigns to discourage gun violence;
and expand the development of "smart gun" technologies.
- The President also proposed to Congress a $30 million Community Gun Safety and Violence
Reduction Initiative for next fiscal year. If funded as proposed, the HUD-administered program
will: develop public education and outreach programs that promote responsible gun ownership
and address hazards posed by firearms; provide technical assistance and funds to innovative
gun violence reduction programs; and fund state-of-the-art tracking and mapping partnerships
that provide critical information about gun-related violence and support community and law
enforcement efforts to reduce gun violence. Local governments, law enforcement agencies,
public housing authorities, community organizations and other groups will be eligible to
compete for HUD grants to support gun violence reduction initiatives.
- In March, HUD and the Treasury Department signed a historic agreement with Smith &
Wesson to implement a "code of conduct" to increase gun safety and keep guns out of the
hands of criminals and children.
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