[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 35 (Friday, February 27, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S2588]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          FILLING GUN LAW GAPS

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, while Congress frequently considers 
important matters, not every day does it pass legislation capable of 
actually saving lives. The Brady bill, however, signed into law 
November 30, 1993, has proven to be such a piece of legislation. The 
Brady law requires that a prospective gun purchaser undergo a criminal 
background check before obtaining any firearm from a Federal firearm 
licensee. Created to prevent felons, fugitives, domestic abusers and 
other prohibited persons from access to guns, the Brady law has been an 
important tool in the fight to keep our families and communities safe.
  According to the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Brady 
background checks have blocked more than 1.6 million attempts by high-
risk people to buy a gun from licensed dealers through the end of 2007, 
including an estimated 842,000 convicted felons, 236,000 people 
convicted of domestic abuse and 68,000 fugitives from justice. Also, 
during this 15-year period, the total number of robberies and 
aggravated assaults committed with a firearm decreased from 564,648 in 
1993 to 377,331 in 2006, a decrease of 33 percent. The number of 
murders committed with a firearm also declined 32 percent, from 17,048 
in 1993 to 11,566 in 2006.
  Despite these significant reductions in crime, much more needs to be 
done. Brady background checks, for example, are currently only required 
for purchases from a licensed gun dealer, which only account for 
approximately 60 percent of gun sales. They are not required for sales 
between unlicensed persons, such as sales at gun shows. According to 
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, almost one-
third of all trafficked guns are acquired at gun shows and flea 
markets. These types of settings provide the perfect loophole for 
unlicensed sellers to offer countless guns for sale with no questions 
asked. Someone that would not be able to pass a background check in a 
licensed gun store currently is able to purchase as many guns as they 
want at gun shows.
  As we begin the first session of the 111th Congress, it is my hope 
that we will take this opportunity to build upon the success of this 
law. I urge my colleagues to pass sensible gun safety legislation that 
will fill the gaps in our gun laws.

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