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“STRIKING TIAHRT AMENDMENT--SUPPORT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1503-E1504 on July 13, 2007.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
STRIKING TIAHRT AMENDMENT--SUPPORT
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HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL
of new york
in the house of representatives
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support striking the Tiahrt Amendment and to enter into the record an editorial from today's Washington Post, ``Follow the Guns--It's time for Congress to free up the data on firearms.''
I serve as a co-chair for the Congressional Task Force Against Illegal Guns. This bipartisan group was formed to support the Mayors Against Illegal Guns, whose current primary focus is striking the Tiahrt Amendment. The Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which is also a bipartisan group has over 220 members and the support of several local and national police organizations.
I strongly agree that action is needed now to address the issue with the trafficking of illegal guns and striking the Tiahrt Amendment is a good step. At the heart of this issue, is the gun trace data that is maintained by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). Not too long ago, back in 2002 to be exact, ATF released gun trace data which helped law enforcement identify illegal gun dealers. That all changed, and now the police agencies in this country that work so hard every day to investigate crimes can't fully do their jobs. This does not make any sense. The police agencies need gun trace data information and Congress needs to ensure that they get it.
Some would argue that this is a Second Amendment issue. It simply is not. This issue is solely about fighting crime to protect Americans. Everyday in cities all across our great country, people are harmed and often lose their lives because criminals gained access to illegal guns.
I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in this crime fighting effort. I applaud the Mayors Against Illegal Guns and the police organizations who are fighting this issue to decrease crime and improve the streets of America. Follow the Guns--It's Time for Congress To Free Up the Data on Firearms
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
(ATF) used to release analyses of data gained by tracing the history of guns used in crimes. These reports yielded valuable information for local law enforcement officials, researchers and the public. Some of the results were startling: For example, 57 percent of crime guns came from 1.2 percent of licensed dealers, the ATF estimated in 2000. The guns the bad guys use don't just come from the black market, in other words; a huge proportion come from a handful of unscrupulous vendors.
But since Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) added a rider to the Justice Department's budget in 2003, the ATF has been prohibited from sharing such gun-trace information with the public, keeping additional insights that might be gained from the data out of public view and making it harder for local authorities to connect the dots. Every year since, the so-called Tiahrt Amendment has gotten more restrictive, narrowing the ability of local police to gain access to or apply gun-trace information. The worst iteration yet came last month, when the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a version from Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.) that threatens to put police officers in prison if they use federal gun-trace data for any purpose other than to advance specific,
``bona fide criminal investigations''--for proactively tracking and interdicting illicit guns, for example, or identifying problem gun sellers.
The House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to consider a less restrictive, but still odious, provision tomorrow. The panel should remove the Tiahrt language, and the House Democratic leadership should encourage its members to do so. District Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) and New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (I) yesterday called for repeal at a joint news conference, and their cause is backed by more than 200 other mayors and scores of law enforcement organizations and police chiefs. Striking the Tiahrt rider is not about chipping away at Second Amendment rights. It is about empowering local authorities to do basic police work.
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