WASHINGTON,
D.C. – In the wake of the recent rash of school shootings and in advance
of Administration’s formal budget submission to Congress, a broad coalition
of Democrats called on President Bush to practice what he preaches by fully
funding existing gun safety laws. U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL),
who organized the letter signed by 34 members, called on the President
to keep his campaign promise to make sure that laws on the books are enforced,
not weakened or hampered by inadequate funds.
In
the letter, the members wrote that “[e]xisting strategies have played
an important role in the sharp decrease in gun violence over the past eight
years and each, we believe, merits your support.”
The
members specifically urged the President to support existing policies and
programs such as the Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative that will
keep guns out the hands of minors, and called on his Justice Department
to aggressively pursue and prosecute gun traffickers. In addition,
they asked that the President requests full funding for the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) so that it can continue to ensure licensed
dealers are complying with gun laws. Furthermore, they called on
the President to use his executive authority to prohibit the importation
of assault weapons and to fully enforce the 1994 Crime bill.
The
members concluded, “[t]hese steps will at least prevent us from moving
backward in the effort to halt gun violence,” and that “[w]e must investigate
increasing dialogue between the NRA, gun control advocates, and the government
to find solutions that will ensure the safety of our children in schools
and all citizens.”
The
letter was signed by Schakowsky and Representatives Charles Rangel; Jerrold
Nadler; Carolyn Maloney; Carolyn McCarthy; George Miller; Tom Lantos; Ellen
Tauscher; Jose Serrano; Corrine Brown; Cynthia McKinney; Stephanie Tubbs
Jones; Michael Capuano; Adam Schiff; Barney Frank; Al Wynn; Robert Wexler;
Neil Abercrombie; Lane Evans; Tom Barrett; James McGovern; Anna Eshoo;
Earl Blumenauer; William Lipiniski; John Larson; Jim Moran; Ed Markey;
Howard Berman; Hilda Solis; Bob Filner; Nydia Velazquez; James Langevin;
John Lewis; Eva Clayton; and Bill Luther.
Below
is the letter to President Bush.
April
2, 2001
The
Honorable George W. Bush
President
of the United States
The
White House
Washington,
DC 20500
Dear
Mr. President:
During
the presidential campaign, you repeatedly stated that the best gun control
measure is enforcement of the laws already on the books. In the wake
of yet another school shooting tragedy, we would like to raise policies
that you can preserve and enhance to prevent future tragedies. These existing
strategies have played an important role in the sharp decrease in gun violence
over the past eight years and each, we believe, merits your support.
-
Preserve
Youth Crime Gun Tracing
The
Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative (YCGII) is a collaborative program
between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and state and
local law enforcement, tracing crime guns back to their source. The YCGII
has been an asset to law enforcement in both solving crimes and providing
a better understanding of the crime gun problem. In 1999, YCGII traced
more than 64,000 crime guns recovered in the 38 cities it was used.
It is due to this success that 12 more cities have been identified to implement
this program in the upcoming year. In light of possible departmental
budget cuts, we ask that you adequate funding levels to allow for this
needed expansion.
-
Maintain
Gun Dealer Oversight
The
ATF also has responsibility for licensing and ensuring that Federal Firearm
License (FFL) holders are in compliance with federal, state, and local
law. By ensuring compliance with the federal requirements for FFLs,
the ATF assists law enforcement in several ways: (1) inspections of existing
licensees help law enforcement identify and apprehend criminals who illegally
purchase firearms; (2) inspections improve the likelihood that crime gun
traces will be successful, since inspectors educate licensees in proper
recordkeeping and business practices; and, (3) compliance inspections target
licensees likely to divert firearms from legitimate trade to criminal use
as well as dealers with a history of poor compliance. The important
role played by ATF to make sure that licensed dealers are complying with
the law is a critical component in preventing the easy flow of firearms
into the hands of criminals. We hope that adequate resources and
staff will be allocated to ensure enforcement of gun laws.
Until
1992, the federal "relief from disability" program existed solely for the
purpose of restoring the ability of felons convicted of federal crimes
to legally buy and possess guns. In the 10-year period from 1982
until 1992, this guns-for-felons program processed 22,000 applications
from convicted felons, and restored gun privileges to approximately one-third
of those applicants. Crimes committed by felons who obtained "relief"
include sexual assault, homicide, and firearm violations.
Fortunately, the Clinton Administration and Congress refused to continue
funding for the federal "relief from disability" program, despite continuing
support for the program from the National Rifle Association. When
Congress de-funded the program in 1992, felons resorted to the courts as
a backdoor avenue to obtain restoration of their firearm privileges.
The Department of Justice has vigorously fought the cases brought by felons.
To date, only the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has agreed to
restore the gun privileges of felons although several other federal circuits
have considered such cases. Following the Third Circuit's ruling,
the lower courts have restored the gun privileges of at least three felons.
Your administration must be stalwart in refusing to use federal resources
to rearm convicted felons.
-
Prosecute
Gun Trafficking
The Department of Justice has taken the lead in prosecuting illegal gun
traffickers. Of 1,090 cases involving illegal firearms trafficking
recommended for prosecution by ATF agents, nearly 90 percent were referred
to the U.S. Attorney's Office. (The U.S. Attorney declined prosecution
in only 10 percent of the cases.) Many of the prosecuted cases involved
licensed gun dealers who were diverting large quantities of firearms to
the illicit market. Your commitment to tough enforcement of the gun
laws should make this prosecutorial effort a top priority.
-
Enforce
the Federal Ban on Assault Weapons and High Capacity Magazines
We
urge you to be vigilant against the illegal manufacture and importation
of both semi-automatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
The 1994 Crime bill prohibited the manufacture and sale of both semi-automatic
assault weapons and high capacity magazines, and both former Presidents
Bush and Clinton utilized their executive power to prevent foreign manufacturers
from bringing their assault guns into this country. However, there
has not been full enforcement of the law. The Treasury Department
should strictly interpret and enforce existing law. We ask that you
use your executive authority to prohibit the importation of weapons that
pose a risk to Americans.
We
believe these steps will at least prevent us from moving backward in the
effort to halt gun violence. This is only the first step, we must
be investigate increasing dialogue between the NRA, gun control advocates,
and the government to find solutions that will ensure the safety of our
children in schools and all citizens. Too many children are able
to get their hands on loaded guns and, intentionally or not, injure and
kill people around them. We must develop effective measures to address
the misuse of firearms and ensure that criminals and children do not have
easy or illegal access to guns. |
