[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 112 (Friday, July 13, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1503-E1504]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   STRIKING TIAHRT AMENDMENT--SUPPORT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 12, 2007

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support striking the 
Tiahrt Amendment and to enter into the record an editorial from today's 
Washington Post, ``Follow the Guns--It's time for Congress to free up 
the data on firearms.''
  I serve as a co-chair for the Congressional Task Force Against 
Illegal Guns. This bipartisan group was formed to support the Mayors 
Against Illegal Guns, whose current primary focus is striking the 
Tiahrt Amendment. The Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which is also a 
bipartisan group has over 220 members and the support of several local 
and national police organizations.
  I strongly agree that action is needed now to address the issue with 
the trafficking of illegal guns and striking the Tiahrt Amendment is a 
good step. At the heart of this issue, is the gun trace data that is 
maintained by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). Not 
too long ago, back in 2002 to be exact, ATF released gun trace data 
which helped law enforcement identify illegal gun dealers. That all 
changed, and now the police agencies in this country that work so hard 
every day to investigate crimes can't fully do their jobs. This does 
not make any sense. The police agencies need gun trace data information 
and Congress needs to ensure that they get it.
  Some would argue that this is a Second Amendment issue. It simply is 
not. This issue is solely about fighting crime to protect Americans. 
Everyday in cities all across our great country, people are harmed and 
often lose their lives because criminals gained access to illegal guns.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in this crime fighting 
effort. I applaud the Mayors Against Illegal Guns and the police 
organizations who are fighting this issue to decrease crime and improve 
the streets of America.

               [From the Washington Post, July 11, 2007]

Follow the Guns--It's Time for Congress To Free Up the Data on Firearms

       The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 
     (ATF) used to release analyses of data gained by tracing the 
     history of

[[Page E1504]]

     guns used in crimes. These reports yielded valuable 
     information for local law enforcement officials, researchers 
     and the public. Some of the results were startling: For 
     example, 57 percent of crime guns came from 1.2 percent of 
     licensed dealers, the ATF estimated in 2000. The guns the bad 
     guys use don't just come from the black market, in other 
     words; a huge proportion come from a handful of unscrupulous 
     vendors.
       But since Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) added a rider to the 
     Justice Department's budget in 2003, the ATF has been 
     prohibited from sharing such gun-trace information with the 
     public, keeping additional insights that might be gained from 
     the data out of public view and making it harder for local 
     authorities to connect the dots. Every year since, the so-
     called Tiahrt Amendment has gotten more restrictive, 
     narrowing the ability of local police to gain access to or 
     apply gun-trace information. The worst iteration yet came 
     last month, when the Senate Appropriations Committee approved 
     a version from Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.) that threatens 
     to put police officers in prison if they use federal gun-
     trace data for any purpose other than to advance specific, 
     ``bona fide criminal investigations''--for proactively 
     tracking and interdicting illicit guns, for example, or 
     identifying problem gun sellers.
       The House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to consider 
     a less restrictive, but still odious, provision tomorrow. The 
     panel should remove the Tiahrt language, and the House 
     Democratic leadership should encourage its members to do so. 
     District Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) and New York Mayor Michael 
     R. Bloomberg (I) yesterday called for repeal at a joint news 
     conference, and their cause is backed by more than 200 other 
     mayors and scores of law enforcement organizations and police 
     chiefs. Striking the Tiahrt rider is not about chipping away 
     at Second Amendment rights. It is about empowering local 
     authorities to do basic police work.

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