[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 142 (Monday, October 5, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S10106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          INSIDE THE GUN SHOW

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, the Violence Prevention Research Program at 
the University of California, Davis, released an important report 
earlier this month detailing many of the potential dangers at gun 
shows. The report, ``Inside Gun Shows: What Goes on When Everybody 
Thinks Nobody's Watching,'' was composed from an analysis of existing 
research as well as direct observation and photographic evidence. 
During a 3-year period, data was collected from 78 gun shows in 19 
States. The report provides a clear illustration of a largely 
unregulated gun market that is ``an important source of guns used in 
criminal violence.''
  Under the Federal Brady Act, before an individual can purchase a 
handgun from a licensed dealer, they must pass a background check to 
insure they are not legally prohibited from purchasing or possessing a 
firearm. In 2008, 9.9 million background checks were conducted for 
firearm purchases, 147,000 of which were rejected. The majority of 
these denials were the consequence of a prior conviction or indictment. 
However, when an individual purchases a handgun from a private citizen, 
who is not a licensed gun dealer, there are no requirements to ensure 
that the purchaser is not in a prohibited category. Because private 
party transactions account for approximately 40 percent of all gun 
sales, current Federal background check requirements have limited 
affect over the overall rates of gun-related violent crime.
  Based on promoter listing, the report estimates that there were 
nearly 2,800 gun shows in the United States during 2007. Generally open 
to the public, they can vary in size from fewer than 100 display tables 
to a few thousand. Accounting for approximately one-third of sales at 
these shows, unlicensed vendors often seek to exploit their unregulated 
status. At one show, a vender advertised with a sign that read ``No 
background checks required; we only need to know where you live and how 
old you are.''
  The report details that while a wide range of guns can be found at 
most gun shows, assault weapons, particularly civilian versions AR and 
AK rifles, are much more prominent than one might generally see at a 
licensed gun store. Semiautomatic pistols that accept the same high-
capacity magazines and fire the same ammunition as AR and AK rifles are 
also heavily present. Even .50 caliber rifles, notorious for their 
extraordinary destructive capabilities, are available from some private 
parties.
  According to the report, there were more than 360,000 violent crimes 
involving guns, including an estimated 11,512 homicides, committed in 
the United States in 2007 alone. While America accounts for less than 5 
percent of the world's population, we account for somewhere between 35 
to 50 percent of all firearms in civilian hands. Gun shows present an 
ideal opportunity for gun traffickers to make unregulated purchases. I 
urge my colleagues to take up and pass sensible gun legislation that 
will help prevent such acts and help protect the safety of our 
communities.

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