[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 215 (Tuesday, December 14, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S9164]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr. 
        Brown, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Padilla, and Mr. 
        Whitehouse):
  S. 3387. A bill to require the search and retention of certain 
records with respect to conducting criminal background checks, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, today, I am reintroducing legislation 
that would help bolster the Nation's background check system for 
firearms.
  Under current law, the FBI is forced to remove records from 
incomplete background checks from their systems if those checks are not 
finalized within 90 days. As a result, many firearms are sold without 
completed background checks--a dangerous practice that allows 
individuals to access a firearm even if they are prohibited by law from 
possessing such weapons.
  In 2020, Americans purchased a record number of guns--over 23 million 
firearms--and this year is expected to set records once again. That 
record number of purchases is overwhelming our background check system.
  The large majority of background checks are straightforward and are 
completed within 3 days, but especially due to the volume of checks 
required by the increase in gun purchases, some can take significantly 
longer.
  According to Everytown for Gun Safety, between March 2020 and July 
2020, the FBI was unable to resolve 207,694 background checks within 90 
days and was therefore required to wipe the incomplete checks from 
their systems. Since these background checks were never completed, it 
is impossible to know how many firearms were transferred to prohibited 
purchasers.
  As firearms sales continue to soar, Congress must act to protect 
public safety by ensuring background checks are completed.
  This bill would do exactly that. It would allow the FBI to maintain 
gun purchase records until the background checks is completed. It would 
also require the FBI to query additional relevant databases as part of 
a firearm-related background check. This would guarantee that the 
information necessary for conducting effective firearm background 
checks is maintained.
  I thank Senators Blumenthal, Booker, Brown, Menendez, Murphy, 
Padilla, and Whitehouse for their support and urge the rest of my 
colleagues to support the bill as well.

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