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STATEMENT BY ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN ASHCROFT

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Attorney General John Ashcroft today announced that more than 150,000 of the approximately 7.7 million firearms or permits nationwide were rejected last year under the provisions of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. The survey, conducted by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statics (BJS), indicated that about 689,000 of almost 30 million applications have been rejected by the FBI since the inception of the Act in 1994.

Attorney General John Ashcroft issued the following statement:

• "Today's report shows that while the Brady Law has helped us stop convicted felons and other dangerous individuals from buying guns easily, violations of the law are not being prosecuted adequately. We have now initiated a plan to improve the process of background checks, a plan which will increase prosecutions of those who attempt to purchase guns illegally and improve the accuracy, efficiency and reliability of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

• We want to send the message that 'gun crime means hard time.' The Justice Department and each United States Attorney is committed to reducing gun crime by vigorously enforcing our laws."

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