The Lautenberg Bill

[camacho]

NRA opposes bill to stop gun sales to terror suspects


WASHINGTON (AP) -- The National Rifle Association is urging the Bush administration to withdraw its support of a bill that would prohibit suspected terrorists from buying firearms.

Backed by the Justice Department, the measure would give the attorney general the discretion to block gun sales, licenses or permits to terror suspects.

In a letter this week to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, NRA executive director Chris Cox said the bill, offered last week by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, "would allow arbitrary denial of Second Amendment rights based on mere 'suspicions' of a terrorist threat."

"As many of our friends in law enforcement have rightly pointed out, the word 'suspect' has no legal meaning, particularly when it comes to denying constitutional liberties," Cox wrote.

In a letter supporting the measure, Acting Assistant Attorney General Richard Hertling said the bill would not automatically prevent a gun sale to a suspected terrorist. In some cases, federal agents may want to let a sale go forward to avoid compromising an ongoing investigation.

Hertling also notes there is a process to challenge denial of a sale.

Current law requires gun dealers to conduct a criminal background check and deny sales if a gun purchaser falls under a specified prohibition, including a felony conviction, domestic abuse conviction or illegal immigration. There is no legal basis to deny a sale if a purchaser is on a terror watch list.

"When I tell people that you can be on a terrorist watch list and still be allowed to buy as many guns as you want, they are shocked," said Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which supports Lautenberg's bill. (The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence Web siteexternal link)

In the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings, lawmakers are considering a number of measures to strengthen gun sale laws. The NRA, which usually opposes increased restrictions on firearms, is taking different positions depending on the proposal. (The National Rifle Association Web siteexternal link)

"Right now, law enforcement carefully monitors all firearms sales to those on the terror watch list," said NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam. "Injecting the attorney general into the process just politicizes it."

A 2005 study by the Government Accountability Office found that 35 of 44 firearm purchase attempts over a five-month period made by known or suspected terrorists were approved by the federal law enforcement officials.

 

[LawBot5000]

This really highlights why we need the supreme court to recognize the 2nd amendment as guarding a fundamental right. As long as anti-gun legislators can argue that the right to keep and bear arms is a privilege, we are going to be facing these constant small attacks. Once the RKBA is recognized as a fundamental right, all of these little attacks run into due process concerns and most of them are stillborn.

 

[Ratzinger_p38]

I dont think this will fly - some of the pro-civil liberties Democrats will see the link with the poorly managed 'no fly list' has seemingly banned 1/2 of the population with the name 'Muhammad' in their name.

 

[foob]

I dont think this will fly - some of the pro-civil liberties Democrats will see the link with the poorly managed 'no fly list' has seemingly banned 1/2 of the population with the name 'Muhammad' in their name.

So what you are really trying to say is Republicans will support the law?

 

[Ratzinger_p38]

So what you are really trying to say is Republicans will support the law?

Uhhhh no. What I meant is, the Democrats who usually fall over each other being the first to support gun control bills may avoid this one for the reason named.

On the flip side you might see some of pro-Patriot Act republicans voting for it.

And for the record foob, I am a Libertarian who leans Republican, so please dont imply I am some leftist.

 

[foob]

Hehe what about the republicans who usually fall over each over being the first to support terrorism control bills may support this one for the reason named.

Anyway I'm just messing with you. It's 5:30 am and I'm on the internets. Does not bode well for me.

 

[Outlaws]

I don't normally agree with communists, but Rage was right...

This whole administration needs to be taken out and hanged...then shot.

 

[camacho]

...republicans who usually fall over each over being the first to support terrorism control bills may support this one for the reason named.

Bingo! Unfortunately there are quite few folks who will rush to support something like that just because it has "terrorist" attached to it. Truly sad! The founding fathers must be spinning in their graves

 

[GRIZ22]

Any bill sponsored or supported by Lautenberg can not be good for gun owners.

 

[tgrillo]

griz22 wrote,

"Any bill sponsored or supported by Lautenberg can not be good for gun owners."
actually any bill sponsored or supported by Lautenberg is never good for gun owners...He left the senate for a brief period because he could not get enough gun control laws passed. He is a danger to the 2nd amendment.

 

[SomeKid]

Nope, no bias in that article.

 

[River Wraith]

Lautenberg should never have been on the ballot, but that's another story. He is a traitor.

 

[MikeHaas]

I wonder how GOA will attack NRA on this?

Mike