Angie Craig: “we have heard over the last few minutes what might appear, at first listening, to be alarming facts, figures, and…”

“we have heard over the last few minutes what might appear, at first listening, to be alarming facts, figures, and statistics, but we all know that in any good debate the devil is in the details, and in the details of the Kennedy amendment are some hidden secrets that must be brought out so we can understand them. Let me, first and foremost, read into the Record a letter from the president of the Fraternal Order of Police. The Senator has talked about cop-killer bullets and protecting cops on the beat, those who wear soft body armor. This is what Chuck Canterbury, the national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, says in a letter to me that he has copied to Senator Frist, Senator Daschle, and to Senator Kennedy: I am writing to advise you of our strong opposition to an amendment Senator Kennedy intends to offer later today---- In relation to the underlying amendment. Senator Kennedy will certainly present his amendment as an ``officer safety issue''---- And that is exactly what we have heard over the last good number of minutes---- to get dangerous ``cop-killer'' bullets---- And he talks about how dangerous they are off the shelf. Regardless of its presentation, the amendment's actual aim and effect would be to expand the definition of ``armor- piercing'' to include ammunition based, not on any threat to law enforcement officers, but on a manufacturer's marketing strategy.”