Posted on 06/14/2007 6:26:51 AM PDT by OrthodoxPresbyterian
House approves stiffer gun background checks
By Joel Havemann, Los Angeles Times June 14, 2007
WASHINGTON -- The House yesterday passed what could become the first significant gun legislation in a decade, directing states to streamline the system for keeping track of criminals, mental patients, and others barred from buying firearms. The legislation also provides $250 million a year for the central database and grants to states to contribute to it.
The bill, which was passed by voice vote, was the product of rare cooperation between gun-control advocates and the National Rifle Association. It is intended to address problems highlighted by the mass shooting at Virginia Tech by a student with a history of mental health problems....
"The focus of discussions related to gun policy was on increasing the effectiveness of current federal firearms regulation, which is limited by divergent state practices," said the report, prepared by the departments of Health and Human Services, Justice, and Education.
For example, the report noted that only 23 states currently provide information to the FBI on people who, under federal law, cannot buy a gun because of mental health issues.
White House spokesman Tony Fratto said that the president "very much" supports the goals of the House bill, but that his aides have some concerns about its $250 million annual price tag.
The House acted after a parade of legislators from both parties praised the legislation.
Only Representative Ron Paul, Republican of Texas, spoke out against the bill, calling it "flagrantly unconstitutional" and saying it undermines the Second Amendment right to bear arms and violates privacy rights of those whose medical records go into the FBI database....
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Hey congress critters, how about stiff background checks before being allowed into this country?
Hi Ron. Good job on this issue. Why are you such a dangerous idiot on the WOT?
And thereby commit a felony (which is also a bad law IMO) by purchasing a gun out of state.
And if all states have a database and all states have access to all other states databases, wouldn’t it be easier to just have ONE national database to reference?
On a side note, I doubt any gun law has prevented a psychopathic killer from going on rampage when he wanted to.
O.K., now, are you series, or just funnin with us?
Happens all the time, in fact.
Not only that, but often without even reading the bill they are voting on.
And it is not a "new thing", either.
Now tell me you didn't know that.
That kind of "dangerous idiocy"?
Or do you merely think it is "dangerous idiocy" for Ron Paul to call for our National Guardsmen and Border Patrol to be securing the borders of America, rather than being tied up refereeing an Islamic Civil War 7,000 miles away while our own Borders are hopelessly undefended (and everyone in Congress except Ron Paul is busy taking away our most effective means of personal defense -- the Right to Bear Arms?)
NRA supported a Dem in OK at the beginning against Dr. Coburn in 2004. Ask if we belong to the NRA and the answer is NO!
ANd this is why Ron P is my number one choice.
Care to show me the specifically enumerated Power in the Constitution granting the Federal Government the power to make these Anti-Gun Laws, and maintain these Anti-Gun Databases?
You can't buy a handgun that requires a NICS check in a state different than the one you are resident in. Yes, you can make a private purchase without a NICS check, but then you could do that in your home state. So it's a red herring to say that you can cross that state line to make the purchase. You can't. The sale has to go through a FFL in your home state.
The purchase of Veto pens.
He IS a kook, but he’s dead right on the 2A.
Voice vote, no one wanted anyone to know who supported this abomination.
And what about privacy rights, medical records, you know — the Democrats will protect your library card rights folks? Prevent wiretapping, I guess this doesn’t count because it’s all about gun control. So if you have a mental health problem you end up in a federal criminal database with the rest of the axe murders and rapists. How many would actually get off once put in the database — Exactly zero.
ACLU, protector of illegal immigrants rights, where are you?
Just a warm up, more gun control to come. Next if you call your congressman, you are unstable bigot and racists, in you go.
Does anyone think that if the nut that shot up VT couldn’t get a gun legally he couldn’t have figured out how to steal one? Probably buy a AK47 down at the Mexican border.
He is dead right on just about everything. Despite the decerebrate howls about Iraq, he is looking more and more right on that, as well.
Don’t get me wrong. I have voted for him in the past, but I won’t do so in the future.
They enemies of this country couldn't buy a better propagandist.
It is America's fault that those poor oppressed sandmaggots simply had to defend themselves by beheading our economy (WTC), our Military (Pentagon), and our government (FTL (93). Darn near word for word from the al quada recruiting manual.
Ooooh! I know! I know! I know!!!! *waves hand frantically*
ZERO teach! ZERO!!!
Do I get a GOLD STAR today?!?!?
Ron’s political director told me that, if he’s elected, they do intend to expand Federal Spending dramatically in at least one area.
The purchase of Veto pens.
"To explain a thing, is not the same as excusing a thing." -- Joseph Sobran
When a Detective investigates the motives of a Murderer, do you conclude that he is "blaming the victim"?
Perhaps not, but one can hope. :-)
I’m glad we at least have Ron Paul to protect our Constitution. The NRA backed the dem against him even though he’s got the best gun rights record in congress.
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