[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 52 (Tuesday, April 1, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E637]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       INTRODUCTION OF THE CRACKDOWN ON DEADBEAT GUN DEALERS ACT

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                         HON. JAMES R. LANGEVIN

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 1, 2003

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, today I am joined by 22 of my colleagues 
in introducing the ``Crackdown on Deadbeat Gun Dealers Act'' to hold 
licensed gun dealers accountable when they knowingly sell guns 
illegally.
  Last year's tragic Washington, D.C., area sniper shootings provide a 
dramatic illustration of what many consider a lack of regulatory 
authority over the nation's estimated 104,000 licensed firearms 
dealers, which are overseen by just 600 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and 
Firearms (ATF) inspectors who must also oversee breweries and tobacco 
plants among their other responsibilities.
  Federal agents, who searched Bull's Eye Shooter Supply of Tacoma, 
Washington, last December, indicated in a court affidavit that 78 
firearms listed in the store's inventory were missing and could not be 
traced through required sales records and other documents. Among the 
missing weapons was the rifle allegedly used by the two D.C. sniper 
suspects, John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo. During the past few 
years, many weapons had simply vanished from the shop without an 
adequate paper trail--some of them possibly bound for people barred 
from owning firearms.
  Unfortunately, the Bull's Eye case is not an isolated one. Statistics 
provided by the ATF in 1998 show that over 50 percent of the firearms 
used in crimes nationwide were traced to just 1.2 percent of the 
nation's gun dealers. By conducting crime gun traces, the ATF can 
analyze why such a large number of firearms from this small proportion 
of dealers are used illegally and develop investigative strategies to 
address this problem.
  Currently, the ATF may inspect a licensed dealer's inventory and 
records without a warrant to ensure record-keeping compliance. The 
accuracy of a dealer's inventory is critical to the ATF's ability to 
trace crime guns. However; since 1986, criminal penalties for most 
dealer recordkeeping violations have been reduced from felonies to 
misdemeanors. In addition, current law restricts ATF to one compliance 
inspection of licensed dealers every 12 months. With the exception of 
violations committed by dealers in transferring firearms to prohibited 
individuals after national instant criminal background checks, the 
current law also generally limits ATF's administrative actions against 
dealers to revocation of the license.
  The Crackdown on Deadbeat Gun Dealers Act will increase compliance 
and keep guns out of the hands of criminals by increasing the permitted 
number of annual compliance inspections by federal law enforcement 
inspectors of licensed firearms dealers; raising the maximum criminal 
penalty for dealers who knowingly violate the law by committing serious 
record-keeping offenses that can hinder tracing guns used in crimes; 
and authorizing $320 million in grants for 5 years to hire 500 
additional ATF inspectors.
  Now more than ever, Americans are demanding protection and security, 
and some are purchasing guns in an effort to protect themselves and 
their families. But we must remember that others with more sinister 
motives can just as easily do the same. Real protection means providing 
authorities with the strongest possible mechanisms to prevent unlawful 
purchases.
  I urge my colleagues to join me and the 22 original co-sponsors of 
this bill in holding licensed gun dealers accountable when they 
knowingly sell guns illegally. Please co-sponsor this responsible law 
enforcement measure, and help keep guns out of the hands of criminals.

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