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: Remarks of Delegate Bill Bronrott (D-District 16, Bethesda) : News Conference - Extend the Assault Weapons Ban : Suburban Hospital - September 13, 2004 : : September 13, 2004 : Good Morning. Welcome. I am Bill Bronrott, a State Delegate in the Maryland General Assembly from here in Bethesda, and chair of the Montgomery House Delegation's Democratic Caucus. We are here to issue our own Homeland Security High Alert because the clock is quickly running out on the 10 year ban on the sale of assault weapons in our country. : : Photo courtesy Dan Cohen. © Dan Cohen 2004. : Later, we will hear from State Senator Rob Garagiola and Delegate Neil Quinter, the chief sponsors of the bill to extend the ban on assault weapons in Maryland, along with State Senators Sharon Grosfeld and Jennie Forehand, and Delegates Marilyn Goldwater, Carol Petzold, Brian Feldman and Rich Madaleno, all of whom are strong backers of this bill and leaders in their own right on this issue. : We are standing outside this trauma center with our Congressman, County Executive, Attorney General, and those who are on the front lines of this issue -- trauma doctors, police chiefs, gun violence prevention advocates, and relatives of gun violence victims -- to make one last ditch effort to urge this Congress and the President to extend the assault weapons ban before it's too late. : We say that these deadly military-style weapons have no place in a civil society because these are people killers and cop-killers, not merely for hunting and sporting. : In the three years since our country was shaken to its foundation on 9/11, we have seen the White House, the Capitol, and virtually every major federal facility fenced off in the name of Homeland Security. : Yet, the well-protected Majority Leaders in the Congress and the President seem content to reopen the gates to invite these weapons of war back onto our streets and into our neighborhoods where violent criminals and gangs, drug dealers, and potential terrorists can threaten ordinary law-abiding citizens and their innocent families. : Four years ago, as a candidate for President, George W. Bush said: "It makes no sense for assault weapons to be around our society." But, as President, he has not lifted a finger during this debate, except to send a signal down Pennsylvania Avenue that it is not an important issue to him, in spite of his campaign promise to back a bill that has had the support of Presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan and Clinton. : If the ban expires at midnight, the sun will still come up tomorrow. Yes, it will be morning in America. But whose America? Who will win and who will lose if this lifesaving law is allowed to sunset? Will it be the NRA and the special interests who work the backrooms in Washington or will it be the public interest, public safety and the greater good? We will find out at midnight. : It's a bit ironic that Senate Majority Leader Frist, who is a medical doctor, believes that allowing the ban to expire is good public policy. As a physician, he should know better. We are honored to be joined by two trauma physicians who do know better. They are on the front lines in the fight to save the lives of victims of violence and trauma in the national capital area every day. I am pleased to welcome Dr. Dany Westerband of Suburban Hospital's trauma center and Dr. Carnell Cooper of Prince George's Hospital's trauma center. : REMARKS OF DRS. WESTERBAND AND COOPER : Thank you both very much for your extraordinary work. I am now very pleased to introduce someone who really needs no introduction, especially on this issue. He has more than proved his strength and leadership capabilities in the face of perhaps the single worst time in the history of our county two years ago when the people of our region were held hostage by terrorizing snipers. Please welcome our County Executive, Douglas M. Duncan. : REMARKS OF COUNTY EXECUTIVE DOUG DUNCAN : REMARKS OF CONGRESSMAN CHRIS VAN HOLLEN : Thank you, Congressman Van Hollen. Also here are representatives of Senator Sarbanes, Senator Mikulski and Congressman Al Wynn who are strong supporters of this legislation. : Next, I am pleased to welcome someone who is still relatively new to his position as Chief of Police in Montgomery County, but he is a native of our county and you will recall that he stood shoulder to shoulder with County Executive Duncan and Police Chief Moose during the sniper crisis when he served as Chief of Police from Fairfax County, Virginia. Montgomery County Police Chief Tom Manger. : REMARKS OF POLICE CHIEF MANGER : Thank you, Chief Manger. The Chief is joined today by Chevy Chase Police Chief Roy Gordon, who is just one of hundreds of Chiefs of Police who have signed onto the campaign to save the assault weapons ban. The key national advocacy group that has been taking the lead in this enormous effort has been the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, founded by Jim and Sarah Brady. We are honored to welcome Montgomery County's former Congressman, Michael D. Barnes, the President of the Brady Center. : REMARKS OF MICHAEL BARNES : Thank you, Mike. Here in Maryland, relentlessly spearheading this effort is CeaseFire Maryland, led by its very able executive director, Leah Barrett ... : REMARKS OF LEAH BARRETT : REMARKS OF VICKIE SNIDER, SISTER OF SNIDER VICTIM JAMES (SONNY) BUCHANAN : : Photo courtesy Dan Cohen. © Dan Cohen 2004. : Thank you, Vickie, very much for your courage and strength in speaking out. We are grateful. Next, I would like to welcome a great friend and our state's top law enforcement officer - a long-time leader against gun violence and for common sense gun safety laws, our Attorney General Joseph Curran, Jr. : REMARKS OF ATTORNEY GENERAL CURRAN : Thank you very much, Mr. Attorney General. Many of us in the Maryland General Assembly are prepared to fight to preserve this law in our state if the national leadership allows it to die. Leading that effort are the chief sponsors of this legislation in Annapolis, State Senator Rob Garagiola of Germantown and Delegate Neil Quinter of Columbia. : REMARKS OF SENATOR GARAGIOLA AND DELEGATE QUINTER : Thank you both very much for your leadership. Their leadership and our Montgomery Delegation's strong support for this legislation was criticized during this past legislative session by the head of the Montgomery County Republican Party, Steve Abrams. It is a bit unnerving to think that someone who says that we should have better things to do is a candidate for the county school board this fall. I hope the voting public is fully aware of his position on the assault weapons bill before they walk into the voting booth in November. : I am very proud to serve with many terrific colleagues in the Montgomery Delegation who are backing this bill, and I invite any of you to step forward if you have anything you would like to add. : SENATORS GROSFELD AND FOREHAND; DELEGATES GOLDWATER, PETZOLD, FELDMAN AND MADALENO : In closing, I would like to thank Suburban Hospital for its incredible hospitality. A very special thanks to President and CEO Brian Gragnolati and Vice President for External Affairs Ronna Borenstein-Levy. : We would now be happy to take any questions from the media, or invite you to talk individually with any of today's speakers afterwards. Thank you, in the media, for coming today. : Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved. William A. Bronrott

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