House Republicans demand data on gun law enforcement

As the Obama administration urges Congress to draft new gun control laws, a key group of House Republicans is demanding information from the administration regarding the enforcement of gun laws already on the books.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., as well as the 22 other Republicans on the committee, sent a letter to President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder asking for 11 years' worth of data pertaining to the prosecution of federal firearms violations.

"It is imprudent to simply call for more laws, without examining the efficacy of the current laws," the letter says.

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It notes that federal weapons prosecutions have fallen to the lowest levels in over a decade and points to statistics that suggest they should be higher. For instance, the letter points out that in 2010 there were 76,142 denials following instant background checks for guns, and of those, 4,732 were referred to field offices for investigation. However, only 62 prosecutions resulted from those referrals.

"A prosecution rate this low is not indicative of a Department of Justice that takes the act of illegally attempting to acquire a firearm seriously," the letter says.

The argument that the administration should focus on enforcing existing laws before creating new ones was employed by NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre when he testified before the Senate earlier this year. "Unfortunately, we've seen a dramatic collapse in federal gun prosecutions in recent years," LaPierre said in his testimony. "Overall in 2011, federal weapons prosecutions per capita were down 35 percent from their peak in the previous administration. That means violent felons, gang members and the mentally ill who possess firearms are not being prosecuted. And that's unacceptable."

The NRA has put up some of the staunchest opposition to Mr. Obama's agenda for reducing gun violence, which includes proposals like expanding background checks and banning assault weapons.

House Republican leaders, meanwhile, have said Congress has a responsibility to look at the issue, but they've suggested the House will wait until the Senate acts.

Goodlatte told Roll Call today that just because he's asking Mr. Obama and Holder for more information on existing laws doesn't mean he's not interested in pursuing new legislation.

"The Congress is going to act on this issue," he said. "The Senate is at work on it, and we are as well. Our goal is to do anything we can do keep firearms out of the hands of people who should not have them."

Goodlatte expressed openness to expanding the background check system for gun purchases cracking down on gun traffickers. "We believe that the law can be improved, and there's no question we will be working on ways to prevent criminals and people with serious mental illness from obtaining firearms, while at the same time protecting the right of law-abiding citizens to have firearms," he said.

[Donnie_G]

Apparently, the assumption of some folks is that governments are the only entities capable of forming well regulated militias. I disagree. Remember, if it were not for local grassroots militias fighting alongside government troops during our Revolutionary War, there wouldn't be a USA. Yes, the National Guard is our state run government militia of today, but, thanks to modern tools, like the internet, you can bet that non- government affiliated well regulated local grassroots militias exists today too. How do you think all those recent middle eastern revolutions were able to take place in the first place?

[StephenKriz]

As long as the minority of Americans (22%) who own guns are members of a "well-regulated militia", then they shouldn't have to submit to a background check, register their weapons or get liability insurance for every gun they own. If they aren't members of a well-regulated militia, they have no right to a firearm. The 2nd Amendment is very clear about this.

[Donnie_G]

STEPHENKRIZ,

In the future, you might want to look up words that you don't understand (militia) before you attempt to use them in your rants.

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

Donnie G,

You might want to research thee definition of militia as it relates to the constitution. Remember the key phrase being " A well regulated" Militia. I and probably most people consider The National Guard to be that well regulated militia. Do you disagree?

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

Republicans hate govenment to the point they sabotage it whenever possible. They intentionally run up deficits spending on things not productive for America. They do this to justify saying there are no funds for social programs. They hate social programs. They do not believe the government should help individuals and they do not want government to work for individuals. This is another reason they sabotage it every chance they get.

The US post office is a prime example of republicans sabotaging government. They passed a law requiring the USPS to pre-fund employees retirement 75 years in advance in a 10 year window. No other entity in the entire country is required to do this except the USPS. This is what's causing the USPS to be cash strapped. Absent that the USPS would be fine. The bogus fiscal cliff crisis to the current sequester. There are more examples of republican sabotage, you get the picture.

[CWSMTB]

Idiots, this is not a republican vs democrat issue. So stop trying to play that card. There are as many democrats that own guns and will not allow the Obama/Biden pushes to strike down the 2nd amendment. Yes, they are, trying to get our guns look at the bill legislators Adam Kline, Ed Murray, Jeannie Kohl Wells of Washington state put forth that called for annual home inspections by the sheriff of gun owners. Whats more, they tried to slip in that any pistol with more than 10 round magazine to be an assault weapon. When they were caught they claimed no knowledge of the "home inspection" and said it was a mistake.

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

Only a idiot thinks their 2nd amendment rights are absolute!

[Donnie_G]

GOP-R--CON-MEN,

2nd Amendment rights, like any other right, are absolute, until they are taken away by governments, or given away by short sighted citizens who believe that their government will take care of them better than they can take care of themselves.

[Donnie_G]

Mental Health Records and the National Criminal Instant Background Check System (NICS):

All retail sales of firearms currently require a NICS check, no matter where they occur.
It is a federal felony to lie or otherwise make false statements on a NICS.
IT'S THE LAW, AND IT'S A GOOD LAW.

Hear are some words straight from the Vice President's lips to your ears: VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN says that "the U.S. government doesn't have the time or resources to prosecute those people that are caught breaking this long time federal law (NICS)", so the OBAMA government (President = Executive Branch = responsible for Law Enforcement) HAS CHOSEN NOT TO ENFORCE this FEDERAL LAW. So here we have a good law (NICS) already on the books that isn't being enforced at any level. Not by accident, but by PRESIDENTIAL DECISION. Just like he did with immigration laws, budget laws, etc.. DO YOU SEE A PATTERN HERE?

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT NOBODY'S BETTER AT PLAYING THE BLAME GAME THAN OUR PRESIDENT, RIGHT?
Well, due to some recent high profile mass murders committed by lunatics and criminals, VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN and the OBAMA White House have seized upon a chance to look as though they are actually doing something meaningful, by ASKING THEIR CADRE OF GULLIBLE TV ADDICTED AMERICANS FOR PERMISSION TO place the BLAME for these criminal acts on THEIR NEIGHBORS, who are ORDINARY LAW ABIDING CITIZENS, because it's politically convenient to do so, and it shifts our attention away from this administration's rotting trail of failed policies. Hey, it worked for ADOLPH HITLER in 1934.

So, don't JUST SAY NO, say HELL NO to OLD CARTOON JOE AND HIS WINDY ASSOciateS!

[HenryMassingale]

If Government Officials and the NRA wish to tie this up and shut it down, then take Obama to Court....welcome to Operation Reciprocity by Henry Massingale

[frankie2fing]

GOP: "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, look over here..."

Teabaggers are soooo stupid...

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

Fact is republicans hate government and they do whatever they can to undermine and destroy it.

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

In fact electing republicans to public office is like hiring a babysitter that hates babies. Nothing good can come from it.

[frankie2fing]

Fair anology. But I am more pragmatic: The GOP breaks the government when they are in power, and when they are vote out the say, "LOOK! The Government is broken!" What a bunch of selfish, bigotted lot. And the funny part is they get the teabaggers to suck their, uh, 'gun.'

LOL Teabaggers are such tools...

[Tank_Commander]

Its about time someone called the attorney generals office on this! I have no idea why we pay them if they don't want to do their jobs. Maybe they spend their time looking at porn on government computers in the office like the SEC.

[frankie2fing]

Well, my embarrassment to the military friend, where was your indignant outrage when dubya allowed Wall Street to illegally tank (pun intended you idiot) the economy (prosecution: zero) or when dubya and darth vader lied us into Iraq on manipulated "facts"? Of course, YOUR son didnt die there...

Teabaggers the armpit of the GOP.

[nearl451]

The headline should Read: "House Committee Adopts NRA Stall Tactics".

Funny thing is I have heard alot of gun statistics.....most manipulated to make them invalid (data manipulation, cherry picking populations, cherry picking percentages).

All to prevent very common sense measures to limit a risk.