Political Quotes

“I would suggest that Officers Ken McGuire and David Lemongello from New Jersey have a right to have their case heard, and their case should not be thrown out because of this underlying bill, which would take away their right to be heard because somehow this person who sold the guns illegally did not have a background check. In this instance, the person who sold them was suspicious and they called the ATF. Maybe that example is not good enough, so let me provide another example of a suit against a negligent gun manufacturer. Let us consider the manufacturers that supply weapons to dealers who repeatedly sell the guns to straw buyers, and then directly to violent criminals. Robert Ricker, a former gun industry insider, has alleged that it is common knowledge within the gun industry that certain sellers routinely engage in straw purchases. Ricker says manufacturers know who the problem dealers are because they supply the data to the ATF that they use to trace the guns that are used back to retailers. I have not heard Mr. Ricker testify, nor have I had access to any of the discovery in any of these cases, but I think that is exactly why we need to allow the suits to proceed, to get to the bottom line what information gun makers and distributors have about how their firearms wind up being used in crime.”