[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Page 24722]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    PROTECTING OUR HOMELAND SECURITY

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, despite the potential threat from 
terrorists armed with easily accessible powerful firearms, Congress 
still has taken no action to require Federal registration of .50 
caliber sniper rifles. We must do more to protect our families and 
communities.
  The .50 caliber sniper rifle is a favorite weapon of militaries 
around the world and is also among the most powerful weapons legally 
available to private individuals in the United States. Published 
reports indicate that .50 caliber sniper rifles are capable of 
accurately hitting a target more than 1,500 yards away with a bullet 
measuring a half inch in diameter. In addition, these thumb-size 
bullets come in armor-piercing, incendiary, and explosive varieties 
that can easily punch through aircraft fuselages, fuel tanks, and 
engines. Currently, these highly destructive sniper rifles, which have 
no sporting purpose, are subject to only minimal Federal regulation and 
are treated the same as other long rifles, including shotguns, hunting 
rifles, and smaller target rifles.
  In August, the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association 
adopted a resolution in support of ``Federal, State, and territorial 
laws that would restrict the sale, distribution, transfer, and 
possession of .50 caliber sniper weapons except to the U.S. military, 
and the National Guard and law enforcement agencies.'' The ABA report 
that accompanied the resolution states:

       Despite its destructive potential, the .50 caliber weapon 
     is sold like any other rifle. Under current law, one needs 
     only be 18 years of age, have a driver's license and pass a 
     minimal background check in order to buy the gun.
       The U.S. Congress has acted to restrict various weapons 
     including specific firearms and ammunition. Rockets, mortars 
     and ammunition over .50 caliber size cannot be sold or 
     legally possessed by civilians. Machine guns, sawed-off 
     shotguns, imported junk handguns, silencers, guns made of 
     plastic or otherwise undetectable by metal screening devices 
     and some armor-piercing ammunition are currently banned or 
     restricted under federal law.

  I am a cosponsor of the Fifty-Caliber Sniper Weapon Regulation Act 
introduced by Senator Feinstein. This bill would reclassify .50 caliber 
rifles under the National Firearms Act, NFA, treating them the same as 
other high-powered or especially lethal firearms like several of those 
mentioned in the ABA's report. Among other things, reclassification of 
.50 caliber sniper rifles under the NFA would subject them to new 
registration requirements. Future transfers or sales of .50 caliber 
sniper rifles would have to be conducted through a licensed dealer with 
an accompanying background check. In addition, the rifle being sold 
would have to be registered with Federal authorities.
  We must take proactive steps to help prevent terrorists armed with 
military style firearms purchased in the U.S. from carrying out attacks 
on innocent Americans. I urge the Senate to take up and pass 
commonsense gun safety legislation, like the Fifty-Caliber Sniper 
Weapon Regulation Act, to assist our law enforcement officials in 
protecting our homeland security.

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