[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 22]
[Senate]
[Pages 30539-30540]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                       TERRORIST APPREHENSION ACT

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, earlier this week, an article in the 
Washington Post highlighted concerns about limits on the Federal Bureau 
of Investigation's ability to pursue terrorists who try to buy guns. 
After September 11, 2001, the FBI launched an initiative to notify 
Federal law enforcement officials and other national security officials 
when suspects on the FBI's terrorist watch list attempt to purchase a 
firearm. However, according to the Washington Post article, an 
interpretation of current law by the Attorney General has precluded 
Federal agents from obtaining any details about gun

[[Page 30540]]

purchase transactions unless the purchaser is identified by the 
National Instant Criminal Background Check System as a prohibited 
buyer.
  The Post article cited situations in which law enforcement officials 
have not been able to pursue known terrorists armed with a firearm. 
According to the Washington Post, as many as 21 suspects on the FBI's 
terrorist watch list have attempted to buy guns since the spring of 
2003. According to Justice Department officials cited in the Post 
article, the rules established by the Attorney General prevent Federal 
officials from sharing information with investigators about legal gun 
buyers, even if these gun buyers are suspected terrorists.
  Law enforcement officials told the Post that the FBI frequently does 
not know the whereabouts of suspected terrorists on its watch lists. In 
such cases, learning where a suspected terrorist bought a firearm and 
what address they provided could be extremely helpful to 
counterterrorism investigators.
  To assist the FBI in monitoring and apprehending suspected 
terrorists, Senator Lautenberg introduced the Terrorist Apprehension 
Act. This bill would require NICS to alert the FBI, Department of 
Homeland Security, and local law enforcement officials anytime an 
individual on a terrorist watch list attempts to buy a firearm.
  I believe this is common sense homeland security legislation, and I 
hope the Congress will enact it quicky.

                          ____________________