Gillibrand, Schumer to Urge Obama Administration's "Task Force to Prevent Gun Violence" to Include First Federal Law Cracking Down on Illegal Guns and Enhanced-Background Check Legislation in Final Recommendations Due this Month

Press Release

U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles E. Schumer today urged Vice President Joseph Biden to include two important measures in his task force's final recommendations to combat gun violence, set to be released this month -- a measure to prevent scores of illegal guns from being trafficked into New York, and a measure to make it harder for felons and the mentally ill from purchasing guns. V.P. Biden is leading the Obama administration's efforts examining ways to reduce gun violence, in response to the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School that killed 20 children and six adults.

The first is a federal measure, authored by Gillibrand and cosponsored by Schumer, aimed to stop the flow of illegal guns into New York and communities across the nation. Illegal guns are devastating New York communities; 85 percent of the firearms used in gun crimes in New York City come from out of state, and 90 percent of these guns are estimated to be illegal. The Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2013 would empower local, state, and federal law enforcement to investigate and prosecute gun traffickers and their entire criminal networks, while protecting responsible, law-abiding gun owners.

Currently, there is no federal law that defines gun trafficking in this country. While local law enforcement agencies work to track down illegal weapons, federal law still restricts localities' ability to investigate and prosecute those who traffic these firearms. Gillibrand and Schumer are also supporters of common-sense measures to reduce gun violence, including closing the gun show loophole, eliminating access to high-capacity ammunition clips made for our military, and banning military-style assault weapons that have no recreational sports use.

Gillibrand and Schumer also urged Vice President Biden to move forward with the Fix Gun Checks Act which aims to combat the nation's broken gun background check system. The legislation includes a two-step process. First, the bill would require states and the federal government to send all necessary records on felons, drug abusers, the seriously mentally ill and other dangerous people to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), the FBI-run system for background checks on gun buyers. This step will close various loopholes to ensure that more names of people who are federally prohibited from having guns are included in the NICS. Second, the bill requires that every gun buyer, with reasonable exceptions, must pass an instant background check. Currently, licensed dealers are required to conduct checks under the existing Brady Law. Penalties for noncompliance will be the same as those under the current Brady Law - up to a year in jail for any knowing violation of the law.

"Congress has ducked a serious national debate over common-sense gun laws for too long. We have an obligation to act and prevent tomorrow's senseless deaths by coming together and ensuring that guns stay out of the hands of criminals and the dangerously mentally ill," said Senator Gillibrand. "By cracking down on illegal gun traffickers and their vast criminal networks, we can reduce gun violence and keep our children and families safe. As a mother and a lawmaker, I will not allow these tragedies and gun violence-related deaths, to go unanswered. It is time to demand real solutions and give law enforcement the tools they need to eliminate illegal guns from the street and keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people."

"As we saw vividly on Thursday night when three New York City police officers were shot, illegal guns imported from outside our city continue to cause destruction," said Senator Schumer. "We have to make sure that the mentally handicapped and violent criminals are not able to purchase weapons, and that those who traffic in illegal weapons are tracked down, caught, and punished."

"New York City has some of the toughest gun laws and enforcement in the country, but until Washington follows suit, illegal guns will keep finding their way into the wrong hands and onto our streets," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. "More than 80 percent of gun owners believe that if you want to buy a gun, you should pass an instant criminal background check - no matter who you are or where you buy. That is common sense, but it won't be the law of the land until Congress passes The Fix Gun Checks Act. We also need a federal law that makes gun trafficking a felony with tough penalties. Right now, 85 percent of the guns police recover at crime scenes were first sold in another state. That includes the guns criminals used to shoot three of our police officers this week. These are national problems that requires national solutions, and I thank Senators Schumer and Gillibrand for working to keep illegal guns out of our communities."

"The American people know that we are better than a nation with mass shootings in schools, and movie theaters, and places of worship, and more than 10,000 gun murders every year," said Dan Gross, President of the Brady Campaign and Center to Prevent Gun Violence. "We applaud the leadership of Senators Gillibrand and Schumer for showing us that they know it too, and for their deep commitment to making this the safer nation we all want and deserve. In turn, we at Brady are committed to doing everything we can to bring to bear the voice of the American public to support efforts like these, and the Vice President's Task Force, to bring about the real and lasting change that is too long overdue."

"Today New Yorkers Against Gun Violence joins Senators Gillibrand and Schumer in urging Vice President Biden to include two critical pieces of legislation in his recommendations to President Obama. Every day illegally trafficked guns arrive in New York communities killing and injuring innocent people," said Jackie Hilly, Executive Director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence. "A strong federal law like the one proposed today will give law enforcement the authority to investigate and apprehend all members of the criminal trafficking enterprises and bring them to justice. It is an important step toward making our streets safe for families and children. We also commend the Senators for introducing the Fix Gun Checks bill to help prevent felons and the mentally ill from obtaining guns in the first place. We have seen all too clearly that guns in the wrong hands can devastate schools, communities and indeed our country. We need to keep our country safe by passing sensible gun laws."

Source