Jeff Bingaman: “I rise today to comment on why I will vote against the Craig amendment to the budget resolution, amendment #3007. While…”

“I rise today to comment on why I will vote against the Craig amendment to the budget resolution, amendment #3007. While the amendment offered by Senator Craig has many law enforcement provisions that I support, I am very concerned that Senator Craig deleted funding for the Bureau of Alcohol, tobacco and Firearms (ATF) in his amendment. If we are serious about providing the necessary resources to effectively pursue offenders of existing federal firearms laws, we cannot exclude the ATF. A true law enforcement initiative should provide sufficient funding for both ATF agents and inspectors. Afterall, the ATF is the federal agency whose mission is to reduce violent crime by enforcing our laws and regulations concerning firearms and explosives. Because the Craig amendment deliberately deleted funding for the ATF, I decided to vote against it. I repeatedly hear that in order for prosecutors to do their job, they need law enforcement, such as the ATF, to detect interstate drug running and to investigate gun dealers making illegal transfers of firearms.”