[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 14054]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               STRAW PURCHASES AND THE ILLEGAL GUN MARKET

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, a report published last week in the Buffalo 
News further exposes how reckless gun dealers and the use of ``straw 
purchasers'' contribute to gun violence in our country. It is important 
that we recognize their role in adding to our Nation's gun violence 
problem and work to enact commonsense legislation to keep dangerous 
firearms out of the hands of violent criminals.
  Under current law, when an individual buys a handgun from a licensed 
dealer, there are Federal requirements for a background check to insure 
that the purchaser is not an individual who is prohibited by law from 
purchasing or possessing a firearm. ``Straw purchasers'' serve as 
middlemen by purchasing firearms with the intent of transferring or 
selling them to other individuals who may be prohibited by law from 
purchasing firearms themselves or who may wish to hide the total number 
of firearms in their possession from Federal authorities. These ``straw 
purchasers'' help to supply the illegal gun market by allowing the true 
purchaser to obtain firearms, oftentimes in large quantities, without 
having to pass a background check. This practice is a felony under 
Federal law.
  As the Buffalo News report points out, individuals using ``straw 
purchasers'' are often aided by gun dealers who turn a blind eye to the 
practice. One of the gun show dealers mentioned in the report has been 
linked to more than 600 guns recovered by New York City police, a semi-
automatic rifle used in the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School, 
and is now prohibited from selling guns in the State of California as a 
result of a lawsuit brought by several communities there. In addition, 
reportedly nearly 200 handguns that were illegally resold in Buffalo, 
NY, were originally sold by the same dealer. Investigations revealed 
that the handguns were obtained over a 6-month period by a man and 
several accomplices who made ``straw purchases'' on his behalf. Since 
records of multiple gun sales must be filed with the Government, the 
``straw purchases'' were apparently made to avoid alerting Federal 
authorities to the illegal reselling of the guns in Buffalo. According 
to the Buffalo News, the ``straw purchasers'' in this case said that 
their role was limited to signing and paying for the handguns that the 
true buyer selected.
  Occurrences like those detailed by the Buffalo News are apparently 
not uncommon and continue to help fuel the illegal gun market in our 
country. Reckless dealers and ``straw purchasers'' indirectly threaten 
the security of our communities by facilitating the transfer of 
dangerous firearms to potential criminals who may use them in violent 
crimes. Unfortunately, instead of strengthening our gun safety laws as 
they apply to reckless dealers and ``straw purchasers,'' some of my 
colleagues are seeking to provide irresponsible gun manufacturers and 
dealers with immunity from liability, even when their actions 
contribute to the growth of the illegal gun market. I urge my 
colleagues to support efforts to help stop guns from falling into the 
hands of violent criminals.

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