[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 18 (Wednesday, February 6, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E108-E109]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        OPINION EDITORIAL WRITTEN BY MARION P. HAMMER OF FLORIDA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. RICHARD HUDSON

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 6, 2013

  Mr. HUDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call to the attention of my 
colleagues an opinion editorial that was written by Marion P. Hammer, 
of Tallahassee, Florida.
  Marion has diligently served as a staunch advocate for Second 
Amendment Rights for nearly her entire life. She served as the first 
female President of the National Rifle Association (NRA) from 1995 
through 1998, and remains on the NRA Board of Directors today.
  The opinion editorial explains in very plain language, just like our 
Second Amendment, the glaring problems our nation's one hundred million 
gun owners, sportsmen and women, and law abiding citizens have with the 
misguided proposals we are hearing from the President and his 
Democratic colleagues.

            ``Universal Background Checks''--Absolutely Not

                         (By Marion P. Hammer)

       Imagine a grandfather who wants to give a family shotgun to 
     his 12-year-old grandson having to do a background check on 
     his grandson before giving him the shotgun.
       Or a friend having to do a background check on his lifetime 
     best buddy before lending him a hunting rifle.
       Or, if your mother had a prowler at her home, having to do 
     a background check on your own Mom before you could give her 
     one of your guns for protection.
       That's what ``universal background checks'' do. They turn 
     traditional innocent conduct into a criminal offense. They 
     target you, law-abiding gun owners.
       Universal background checks are background checks on EVERY 
     transfer, sale, purchase, trade, gift, rental, and loan of a 
     firearm between any and all individuals.
       All background checks must be conducted through a federally 
     licensed dealer. Universal background checks have nothing to 
     do with gun shows--they are about you.
       It is ALREADY a federal felony to be engaged in the 
     business of buying and selling firearms without having 
     federal firearm dealer's license.
       It is ALREADY a crime for a federally licensed dealer to 
     sell a gun without doing a background check--that's all 
     dealers, everywhere, including at retail stores, gun shows, 
     flea markets or anywhere else.
       Further, it is ALREADY a federal felony for any private 
     person to sell, trade, give, lend, rent or transfer a gun to 
     a person you know or should have known is not legally allowed 
     to own, purchase or possess a firearm.

[[Page E109]]

       The penalty for selling a gun to a person who is a 
     criminal, mentally ill, mentally incompetent, alcohol abuser 
     or drug abuser is a 10-year federal felony. That's now, 
     today, with no changes to the law.
       It is even a federal felony to submit false information on 
     a background check form for the purpose of purchasing a 
     firearm.
       Even so, according to a 2012 report to the Department of 
     Justice, more than 72,000 people were turned down on a gun 
     purchase in 2010 because they didn't pass the background 
     check. Yet, only 44 of those cases were prosecuted. Why, when 
     criminals are caught in the act of lying on the form to 
     illegally purchase a firearm are they not prosecuted?
       On Thursday, January 10, 2013, in the White House meeting 
     of President Obama's Gun Agenda Task Force, Vice President 
     Joe Biden answered that question, telling NRA's Director of 
     Federal Affairs, James Baker, that the Obama administration 
     didn't have time to prosecute people for lying on the federal 
     background check form.
       In an article in The Daily Caller (1/18/2013) Biden said, 
     ``And to your point, Mr. Baker, regarding the lack of 
     prosecutions on lying on Form 4473s, we simply don't have the 
     time or manpower to prosecute everybody who lies on a form, 
     that checks a wrong box, that answers a question 
     inaccurately.''
       If the Obama Administration currently doesn't have the time 
     or manpower to prosecute those who lie on background check 
     forms, then why do they want more background checks, more 
     paperwork and more forms? It's backdoor gun registration.
       Universal background check system legislation that we have 
     previously seen, allows the government to keep a computerized 
     government registry of gun owners.
       In addition to the absurdity of having to do background 
     checks on people you know are not criminals, would you like 
     to pay up to $100 or more just to give your grandson a 
     shotgun or lend a hunting rifle to your best friend or give 
     your Mom a gun for protection?
       Transfer fees alone could run from $50 up. Firearms 
     dealers, like other businesses, charge as much as they can 
     get away with. Background check fees for a federally mandated 
     program can be any amount they decide.
       The Obama administration's gun ban agenda and universal 
     background check system are unconstitutional regulatory 
     schemes to gut the Second Amendment. These proposals which 
     mandate the government collection of data on lawful gun 
     buyers and sellers amount to universal gun registration and 
     gun owner licensing.
       This agenda focuses on peaceable citizens, not violent 
     criminals who obtain guns on the black-market to carry out 
     unspeakable crimes already prohibited under federal and state 
     laws. Instead of stopping crime and eliminating criminal 
     conduct, they are creating more criminals--they are targeting 
     you.
       That's why NRA Members and the nation's 100 million 
     firearms owners will stand in solidarity and fight against 
     these misguided and diabolical proposals that have nothing 
     whatsoever to do with curbing criminal violence but 
     everything to do with stripping us of our guaranteed civil 
     rights and our freedom.
       Marion P. Hammer is past President of the National Rifle 
     Association and is Executive Director of Unified Sportsmen of 
     Florida

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