Dear Friend:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the lawsuits filed against the firearms industry. It is an honor to serve you as Majority Leader in the United States Senate and a privilege to respond to your concerns.

As you may know, I am a strong supporter of our Second Amendment rights. I do not believe that regulating gun ownership is the answer to America's crime problem. A person intent on committing a violent crime will not be stopped by further gun control legislation. Our enemy is the criminal, not the weapon, and Congress must continue to work to restore common sense to criminal law.

In recent years numerous lawsuits have been filed against gun makers by individuals seeking restitution for crimes committed with guns. Even though most of these suits have been dismissed because they lack any merit, a few remain in the courts. The purpose of these frivolous lawsuits is obvious, to put an entire industry out of business. We cannot allow this to happen. America's gun manufacturers not only provide thousands of jobs, many in small rural towns, they also provide our nation's military and police forces with the weapons they need.

As Majority Leader I was proud to bring S. 397, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, to the floor of the Senate for debate. It passed by a vote of 65-31 with broad bipartisan support on July 29, 2005. This narrow, common sense legislation protects law-abiding gun manufacturers from liability when a citizen misuses a product or commits a criminal act with a gun. It places the blame for criminal acts where they belong - on the criminal - not the gun manufacturer. However, the bill allows legitimate lawsuits against manufacturers for manufacturing a faulty product or knowingly breaking the law. This important legal reform will save American jobs, help a critical industry and protect our Second Amendment rights.

Again, thank you for contacting me concerning this important issue. I hope that you will continue to share your thoughts and concerns with me throughout my tenure in the Senate.

Very good answer, but what was the question?