[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 150 (Tuesday, November 19, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11561-S11562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CREDIT CARD ARMIES--FIREARMS AND TRAINING FOR TERROR IN THE UNITED 
                                 STATES

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I want to bring the attention of my 
colleagues to a report released in October by the Violence Policy 
Center, VPC, entitled Credit Card Armies--Firearms and Training for 
Terror in the United States. This report analyzes the ease with which 
members of terrorist organizations and criminals gain access to 
powerful firearms and ammunition. According to the VPC report, 
terrorist groups with little more than a credit card and a driver's 
license, can easily obtain military grade firepower, including 50 
caliber sniper rifles, assault weapons, and extraordinarily powerful 
ammunition.
  In response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the 
Federal Bureau of Investigation searched the National Instant Criminal 
Background Check System for information on individuals detained. 
However, according to a New York Times article, the Department of 
Justice ordered the FBI to stop using NICS records for investigating 
suspected terrorists even after the FBI found that at least two 
individuals detained in relation to the terrorist investigation had 
been cleared to buy firearms. Further evidence gathered by the Bureau 
of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and reported by the New York Times 
determined that 34 firearms used in crimes had at some point been 
purchased by an individual on the same list of people detained after 9/
11.
  The VPC report provides several examples of terrorist groups, from 
al-Qaida to the Irish Republican Army, using our loopholes in our gun 
laws to purchase 50 caliber sniper rifles and other military style 
firearms. We need to pass the Schumer-Kennedy Use NICS in Terrorist 
Investigations Act and also Senator Reed's ``Gun Show Background Check 
Act. These bills would assist law enforcement in identifying prohibited 
gun buyers and recognizing patterns of illegal purchases and misuse.
  In January 2001, regulations issued by the Department of Justice 
directed the FBI to retain NICS information for a 90-day period. This 
90-day period allows local law enforcement and the FBI to check NICS 
for illegal gun sales to criminals, terrorists and other prohibited 
buyers, identify purchasers using fake identification, and screen for 
gun dealers misusing the system. However, in June 2001, the Attorney 
General proposed reducing the length of time that law enforcement 
agencies can retain NICS data to 24 hours. This is simply an 
insufficient amount of time for law enforcement to review the NICS 
database.

[[Page S11562]]

  The Attorney General's action concerns me greatly. I was pleased to 
cosponsor the Use NICS in Terrorist Investigations Act introduced by 
Senators Kennedy and Schumer. This legislation would codify the 90-day 
period for law enforcement to retain and review NICS data. The need for 
this legislation was highlighted late last year when the Attorney 
General denied the Federal Bureau of Investigation access to the NICS 
database to review for gun sales to individuals they had detained in 
response to the September 11th terrorist attacks and refused to take a 
position on an amendment which would authorize that access.
  Senator Reed's Gun Show Background Check Act, which is supported by 
the International Association of Chiefs of Police, would extend the 
Brady Bill background check requirement to all sellers of firearms at 
gun shows. I cosponsored it because it is vital that we do all we can 
to prevent guns from getting into the hands of criminals and 
terrorists.
  I urge my colleagues to consider these important pieces of gun safety 
legislation not only to protect our children from gun accidents and 
criminal use, but also to limit easy access to dangerous weapons by 
people who would seek to threaten our Nation's security.

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