New rules for youths endorsed

PIANIN

WASHINGTON -- The House on Wednesday approved tough mandatory penalties for youths convicted of using a gun in a crime but rejected new curbs on the entertainment industry, as lawmakers began work on a package of measures to curb youth violence.

The action came during an emotional, daylong House debate on juvenile justice legislation that has assumed center stage on Capitol Hill. The debate will continue today when lawmakers consider a series of closely contested measures on gun control, including competing plans to require background checks at gun shows. At stake Wednesday was a juvenile justice bill that had stalled for two years until the Littleton, Colo., school shootings in April. The basic measure would provide an extra $1.5 billion to the states to help combat juvenile crime, but lawmakers worked though the evening on a series of amendments offering a variety of additional approaches to the problem. Final passage of the overall bill isn't expected until today or Friday. On one of the most closely watched amendments, lawmakers approved 249-181 a plan by Rep. Bill McCollum, R-Fla., to impose stricter penalties on juvenile offenders. Under the measure, the maximum penalty for juveniles convicted of illegally possessing a firearm would be increased to one year, while those convicted of possessing a firearm with the intent of taking it to school would face a maximum of five years. While members of both parties appeared eager to get tough with juvenile offenders, an even larger bipartisan majority rejected a proposal to crack down on the entertainment industry -- which many Republicans have tried to finger as the culprit in Littleton. On a 282-146 vote, lawmakers shot down a proposal by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry J. Hyde,R-Ill., that would have made it a crime to distribute or sell to minors any movies, video games, books magazines or other materials that contain explicitly sexual or violent material. Hyde portrayed the measure as necessary to "slow the flood of toxic waste into our kids' minds," but many other lawmakers -- backed by an aggressive lobbying campaign by the entertainment industry -- saw it as an infringement on the First Amendment. While sharp rhetoric dominated the deliberations on the House floor, both sides engaged in furious backroom lobbying aimed at tilting what could be extremely close votes today on the gun measures. President Clinton even weighed in with a letter to lawmakers from Switzerland, urging members to "stand up to the gun lobby once again." When the Senate approved its version of juvenile justice legislation last month, it also imposed a three-day waiting period for sellers to conduct background checks on people buying weapons at gun shows, as well as several other gun-related measures. But House conservatives Wednesday night appeared close to achieving a compromise on a watered down version of the Senate- passed gun control measure -- but one being offered by a leading Democrat. The amendment being pushed by Rep. John D. Dingell, D-Mich., a close ally of the National Rifle Association, would limit the background checks to only 24 hours. The Dingell amendment was getting a big push from House Majority Whip Tom DeLay, R-Texas, one of the most powerful members of the House, who urged conservatives to back the plan as their best chance of stopping tougher gun control measures. For instance, Hyde is backing a competing approach that would impose a 72-hour waiting period on gun shows featuring 10 or more vendors, while Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., is promoting a longer waiting period of three business days for any event where 50 or more guns are sold. "It's a dilemma," DeLay told reporters. "You hate to vote for any gun control if you're a defender of the Second Amendment. At the same time, what do you do to stop the gun control people?"It was a day of big emotions as the House began marching through 44 amendments to a juvenile offenders bill. The underlying bill would provide extra money for the states to build or expand juvenile facilities, hire more prosecutors and establishing programs for law enforcement training. Democrats said they have no problem with the bill, but blamed the Republicans for offering a series of "poison pill" amendments that they described as off the chart. The amendments ranged from creating a national file of violent juveniles and tougher penalties for those who commit violent acts against children to more controversial measures promoting prayer in school, posting the Ten Commandments and providing limited civil litigation immunity for teachers and principals trying to maintain discipline. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., a former school teacher and coach, told members he had been "horrified" by the shootings in Littleton and shared in Americans' confusion over how it happened and what could be done to prevent future tragedies. "In this debate we attempt to provide answers to both these questions," Hastert said. "But let's not kid ourselves. Congress cannot quickly and easily provided complete answers that will solve the complex problem of juvenile violence. We can only try to highlight some issues that we as a society should work to solve."

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