NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007

Floor Speech

NICS IMPROVEMENT AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2007 -- (Extensions of Remarks - June 18, 2007)

* Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, I rise to voice my strong support of H.R. 2640, the McCarthy-Dingell National Instant Criminal Background Check Improvement Act. It is high time Congress acted to strengthen the gun laws in this country and implement common sense policies to ensure that guns are not ending up in the wrong hands.

* H.R. 2640 will strengthen the National Instant Background Check System (NICS) by creating incentives for states to submit legal records about individuals who are not eligible to purchase guns.

* This bill also permits Federal law enforcement grants to be cut for states that do not submit such records to the electronic database and requires greater information- sharing among Federal agencies.

* This legislation will make it easier for law enforcement authorities to coordinate and work together to make sure guns do not end up in the hands of criminals, the mentally ill, and non-citizens.

* This bill will also create a more uniform system of background checks to help prevent the type of tragedy that occurred at Virginia Tech, where a documented mentally disturbed young man was able to buy guns and create devastation and destruction on a college campus.

* Mr. Speaker, I believe this bill is an important first step in strengthening our Nation's gun laws and I support this legislation enthusiastically and without reservation.

* I am also offering my own legislation, H.R. 2666, Blair's Bill, which will create a national gun registry and licensing procedure so we can finally begin to get a grip on the deadly issue of gun violence that has devastated so many of our communities across the country.

* Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this and other sensible gun control laws.

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