Cummings Lauds Senate Committee Passage of Gun Trafficking Bill; Urges Vote on Bipartisan House Companion

Statement

Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued the following statement after the Senate Judiciary Committee today passed a bipartisan gun trafficking bill introduced by Sen. Leahy by a vote of 11-7:

"I commend Chairman Leahy and the Senate Judiciary Committee for passing bipartisan legislation today to combat gun trafficking. This is significant movement on this common-sense proposal to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals and reduce gun violence. I am hopeful that our bipartisan companion bill will be considered in the House in the coming weeks."

On February 5, 2013, Cummings introduced the first bipartisan bill with Reps. Patrick Meehan (R-Pennsylvania), Carolyn Maloney (D-New York), and Scott Rigell (R-Virginia) in the House of Representatives during this Congress to make firearms trafficking a federal crime.

Their bill, H.R. 452, The Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2013, has the strong support of law enforcement organizations and others because it is a critical step to stopping the flow of guns into the hands of criminals while protecting the rights of law abiding gun owners.

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