Political Quotes

“I want to thank the outstanding ranking member of this committee for his work on this bill. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this amendment. Let me be very clear. The long gun rider currently in this bill makes it easier for drug cartels to smuggle weapons across the border and more difficult for law enforcement to identify straw purchasers and get weapons out of the hands of dangerous people. The reporting of multiple purchases for powerful semiautomatic firearms is the same policy we have had for handguns for decades, and it saves lives. Let me be very clear, my friends. The long gun reporting requirement would not stop a law-abiding person from purchasing a firearm. It only allows the reporting of multiple sales of powerful, semiautomatic rifles--greater than the .22 caliber--and only if they can hold detachable magazines. The Justice Department found that more than half of the guns recovered in Mexico in connection with drug cartels originated in the United States of America. A case study of firearms trafficking by one drug cartel found that, during a 15-month period, the cartel purchased 251 assault rifles from U.S. gun dealers, all but one of which was purchased as part of a multiple sale. Law enforcement needs more, my colleagues, not less to fight drug cartel violence. Support this amendment. Help law enforcement stop the trafficking of weapons and save lives.”