Violent Crime Control Act of 1991

Members of the Senate debated S. 1241, President Geroge H. W. Bush’s Violent Crime Control Act of 1991. Citing statistics that the U.S. is now the most violent country in the world with high rates of murder and rape, Sen. Biden described the current system of crime regulation that is failing to curb crime in the country. S. 1241 mandates a three-year prohibition on the manufacture and possession of semi-automatic, “assault” weapons, would increase the number of cases in which the death penalty could be applied, and would limit the number of Federal appeals available to criminals convicted under state laws. The bill also would allow evidence obtained by police officers “in good faith” to be introduced in court, whether or not it was obtained entirely legally with a search warrant. President Bush previously stated he would veto any bill that did not contain this provision because he did not want to sign a bill that tied the hands of police officers. close