Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act

Floor Speech

The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4660) making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015, and for other purposes:

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Chair, Congresswoman Esty has introduced a common sense amendment to inhibit gun trafficking along the Southwest Border.
Her amendment seeks to strike Section 539, which prohibits the necessary funding required for federally licensed firearms dealers to report to DOJ when they sell multiple rifles or shotguns to the same person. This requirement applies to dealers in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas due to their proximity to Mexico. Nearly 80% of Mexico's illegal firearms are imported illegally from the U.S.

Gun traffickers frequently buy multiple guns at one time and then resell them to prohibited persons. Section 539 blocks ATF's ability to track the bulk buying of assault rifles in those border states.

Eliminating this key reporting requirement opens the door wide for criminals, and those who would normally not pass a background check, to obtain a gun. Each year nearly 12,000 gun murders are committed by people who have no legal right to a gun. I applaud Congresswoman Esty for introducing the amendment to strike the language, thus curbing gun trafficking and allowing ATF to properly do its job.

We need to strike negative gun riders from CJS legislation, like section 539. I lend my support to this amendment and to Congresswoman Esty and I hope you do, as well.

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