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- NATION, Page 27American NotesWASHINGTONGunfight on Capitol Hill
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- The idea of a federally mandated seven-day waiting period for
- the purchase of handguns has cleared a major hurdle, setting the
- stage for the legislative equivalent of the gunfight at the O.K.
- Corral.
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- Advocates of gun control strongly back the so-called Brady
- bill, which allows for checks on the buyer's criminal and
- emotional history. The measure is named for former White House
- press secretary James S. Brady, who was disabled by a handgun
- fired at President Reagan in 1981. The National Rifle
- Association claims the law would deprive citizens of their right
- to bear arms.
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- Though a similar bill was defeated on the House floor in
- 1988, the House Judiciary Committee last week voted 23 to 11 to
- approve it. The showdown comes on the House floor next week. Two
- prominent N.R.A. life members have greatly enhanced the bill's
- chances: Ronald Reagan endorsed it last month, and President
- Bush has said he would not veto the plan if it became part of
- his omnibus anticrime package.
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