Congresswoman Edwards' Statement Opposing the Passage of the Protecting Gun Owners in Bankruptcy Act of 2010

Statement

Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards (D-MD) released the following statement today after passage of H.R. 5827, the Protecting Gun Owners in Bankruptcy Act of 2010. The bill passed the House, under suspension of the rules, by a vote of 307-113. Under current bankruptcy law, debtors are allowed to exempt a wide range of personal items and household goods from claims of creditors. This legislation provides an additional exemption for gun owners to maintain their firearms so long as they do not exceed $3,000 dollars in total value.

"After killing bankruptcy protecting for consumers several times, I am outraged that this Congress gave special priority to firearms when the number one cause of bankruptcy is medical costs. Even the intention of this exemption falls short of its desired goal, as antique firearms are appraised at well over $3,000 dollars. At a time when bankruptcy filings are approaching 2 million for this year alone, we can ill afford misguided legislation that places the desires of a specific group over those shared by all Americans."

"Bankruptcy is a difficult time and the process deserves a deliberative debate. But this bill, brought up under suspension of the rules, received no such debate or even committee hearings. I believe strongly that people coming out of bankruptcy deserve a fresh start, but not at the price of special carve outs and political tactics."

Source