Maloney, Cummings, and Kelly Request Hearing on Bipartisan Gun Trafficking Legislation

Mar 16, 2017
Press Release

Maloney, Cummings, and Kelly Request Hearing on Bipartisan Gun Trafficking Legislation

 

Washington, DC (Mar. 16, 2017)—Today, Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of  the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Robin Kelly (D-IL) sent a letter to Chairman Jason Chaffetz requesting that the Committee hold a hearing to consider bipartisan gun trafficking legislation the Members introduced after the Acting Director for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives testified that a federal firearms trafficking statue  “would help deal with the gun violence in America.”

H.R. 1475, the Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2017, would—for the first time—make firearms trafficking a federal crime and impose stronger penalties for straw purchasers who buy guns on behalf of others.  This bipartisan legislation was introduced on March 10, 2017, by Democrats Cummings, Maloney, and Kelly, and Republicans Patrick Meehan (PA-07), Peter King (NY-02), and Daniel Donovan (NY-11).

When this bill was introduced previously, it was supported by numerous organizations representing law enforcement and prosecutors across the country.

“We have made it too hard for law enforcement to stop guns from getting into the hands of criminals and too easy for criminals to get their hands on guns,” said Rep. Maloney. “Federal law must treat gun trafficking and straw purchases as the dangerous crimes they are before we needlessly lose more lives! The bipartisan Gun Trafficking Prevention Act would provide the tools law enforcement has asked for to put gun traffickers and straw purchasers behind bars.”

“We’ve heard from multiple law enforcement agencies and prosecutors that they are ill-equipped to crack down on illegal gun trafficking organizations,” said Cummings. “This bipartisan bill will give them the tools they need to combat illegal gun crime, and I urge my colleagues to support this critical legislation.”

“Our law enforcement leaders have been blunt: a federal firearms trafficking statue is needed to combat gun violence. Criminals are using lax gun laws in one state to fuel criminal syndicates in another. Congress needs to give law enforcement the tools to fight back against this illegal activity,” said Kelly. “I urge Chairman Chaffetz to do something and hold a hearing on this common sense, bipartisan bill that will save lives and undermine national criminal networks.”

Click here to read today’s letter. 

Issues: 
115th Congress