Frank Lautenberg: “first, I thank my colleague, Senator Simon from Illinois for his remarks. I think he clarified the situation pretty…”

“first, I thank my colleague, Senator Simon from Illinois for his remarks. I think he clarified the situation pretty effectively, that this is almost like a shock when you consider what could be done with the $76 million, what ought to be done with these weapons. The policy of the country in the past has been to destroy them. This goes back to Biblical recommendations: turn the weapons into plowshares, get rid of them. These are no longer valuable for the military, they are passe. I said earlier that I carried one of these in World War II, and I see our distinguished colleague and friend from Ohio on the floor, and I know that he, too, carried one of the weapons of this type in the military service of this country, which was, indeed, distinguished. Mr. President, I want to point out a couple of things here that I think ought to be in the Record. First, there are several documents, including a Washington Post article, a GSA news release going back to 1984 reporting on their view of what should happen with these weapons, which I am going to ask be printed in the Record. The regulations, which I will just paraphrase, state: Firearms no longer needed by an agency may be transferred to those Federal agencies authorized to acquire firearms for official use. However, it also prohibits the donation, sale or exchange of firearms and states they may be sold only for scrap after destruction.”