Bill Offered to Give FBI Access to Gun Records

Reuters ^

[Sir Gawain]

Bill Offered to Give FBI Access to Gun Records
December 7, 2001 6:56 pm EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A day after U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft told Congress existing law does not allow the FBI to compare the names of suspected terrorists with federal gun purchase records, two senators introduced a bill on Friday to allow such action.

"It makes no sense to deny these records to the FBI in its ongoing investigation of the atrocities of September 11th," Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts said in a statement.

Kennedy joined Sen. Charles Schumer of New York in offering the measure. Both are members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, before which Ashcroft testified on Thursday.

The attorney general, in defending his decision to block the FBI from using gun documents in its probe of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, said the law does not allow investigators to review the federal records created when a buyer applies to buy a firearm.

His stand drew angry words from a number of Democrats, who noted the former U.S. Republican senator from Missouri has been a longtime defender of gun rights.

Asked at Thursday's hearing if he wanted the FBI to have the power to review gun records in its terror investigation, Ashcroft said he would not comment on "a hypothetical," but would be "happy to consider" any such legislation that would enable it to do so.

Kennedy said on Friday the bill he and Schumer offered would do that, and called on the administration to back it.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department said it would review the regulations on accessing gun-purchase records.

A Justice Department official told reporters on Friday he would check with the FBI and other agencies to see if they thought there was an "operational need" to warrant a change in the law.

"We are continuing this top to bottom review, so we will take a look at it now that the question has been raised," the official said.

[Avoiding_Sulla]

Don't be fooled by Ashcroft's present policy statements.

What's to fool.

• The first statement Ashcroft made after Sept 11 was that he wasn't gonna tolerate racial profiling.
• Next the DemoRats claim their reason for opening the registration ledgers is their concern is over possible purchase of firearms by infiltrated terrorists.
• Then Ashcraft suggests how Congress could make it possible for him to do this.
• Then the leftwing slips in a coupla bills to open up the ledgers.
• But since there can be no racial profiling (see first bullet), Voilà, everyone who registered is now a suspect.
• Doubt that? Been to an airport lately?

How many political parties do we have?
Why it's now essentially one big party -- RepublicRats^™-- headed by big rats who incrementally nibble away at our great republic's constitution.

[MissAmericanPie]

I ask again and again, why is there a gun registry in this country. It matters very little how they mistitled it, these records are not suppose to exist.

All the democrats are really mad about is that this war is a one man show and that one man is President Bush, that is the sum total of their concern. They want face time, they want in on the action to impress their lousy, mindless, constituents. They want to be able to point to themselves and say, look at the crucial role I played in bringing in the big win. What a bunch of hyprocites and liars.

Now it is clear that the Fed is keeping names of gun owners. Isn't that a clear violation of something? When buying a gun, and they check to see if your a criminal, wasn't the law that the record of your purchase had to be destroyed within 24 hours of it's ok'ed? So what is this database of gun owner names anyone have any information on it?

[AF68]

"Ashcroft VETOED Concealed Carry in Missouri as governor of that state. Does that sound PRO-GUN to You?"

Wrongo. It was deadman taxman Carnahan that vetoed the concealed carry bill in Missouri.

[GotDangGenius]

Many a Union worker owns a personal protection firearm. Make that link in the debate and the Dems will implode- it's that simple, but nobody will do it- the Repugs don't have the smarts to accomplish that.

I do- "it ain't braggin' if it's true..."

[GotDangGenius]

Remember Al Gore in Michigan?

Democrats want to take away the rights of the working people to hunt, sport shoot, and protect themselves with personal protection firearms- that isn't something the Unions can support....

I swear, you work this angle, and the Dems will shut their traps...

[Fighting Irish]

If I recall...the hijackers used box cutters not guns to overtake the crew. Perhaps a 2 day waiting period on box cutters is in order? Or even a background check station at all hardware stores?

[Fighting Irish]

None citizens-like convicted felons-are not able to purchase handguns.........but they never buy them at stores.

[rebel]

I'm in favor of gun rights-but not for terrorists

Today the terrorist is mideastern/Islamist extremist. Tommorow it may be someone who thinks the government has exceded it's proper constitutional limits and wants change. It will include "gun nuts".

[IRtorqued]

in so many words ascroft confirms that there is defacto gun registration

[redrock]

"It makes no sense to deny these records to the FBI in its ongoing investigation of the atrocities of September 11th," Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts said in a statement.

Oooppss...ANOTHER Senator who hasn't read the Constitution.....

Sen.....it's called the 2nd Amendment.

redrock--Constitutional Terrorist

[GotDangGenius]

The HEADLINES SHOULD READ:

Schummer and Kennedy Bid to keep secret records on the working people of America.

How many teachers, firemen, policemen, and other union employees own firearms? Anybody got stats?

I swear you work that angle against the anti-gun nuts in the senate and they'll shut up.

"blaming guns for crime is like blaming spoons for Rosie O'Donnel being fat."

[jokemoke]

Excuse me- am I confused? .... I thought the terrorists used AIRPLANES and BOX-CUTTERS to kill 4,000 Americans.... What does guns have to do with this terrorist problem?

[youaculpa]

This is a ploy to damage the 2nd Amendment. The Al Quaeda terrorist handbook explicitly tells the terrorist sleeper *NOT* to use firearms. What what good would it be to search gun records? These clowns in D.C. know this but they just can't forget their old agendas.

[Eustace]

Here's an experience I know of personally.

A person I know from Texas was going through Illinois on his way to the March for Liberty in Washington DC.

The March for Liberty was put together by some Freepers to let common citizens voice their opinions of our government in front of the Lincoln Memorial, and hopefully wake people up to what's going on in America and increase our numbers.

Anyway this Freeper was stopped by the police in Illinois, and during the stop the officer asked if he was carrying a gun. He thought of how things could go if he lied and decided to admit to carrying a weapon. The officer made a call on his radio, and this Freeper said within two minutes the officer knew it was his handgun.The Freeper was let go with no problems.

My point is that if the police can access this info from their computers SO CAN THE FBI. I don't trust anything coming from schumer or kennedy, there's more to this bill then they're telling. And like other unConstitutional bills that have been passed, the opposition won't be present or it will be by a show of hands and secret.

[roughrider]

What galls me is that Leahy was more concerned with the "civil" rights of illegal immigrants, who have already broken the law just by being here, and who are suspected members of terrorist groups, than he is the CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS of American citizens! Note how Leahy sneers at "gun rights." In the meantime, Leahy wants to make sure the illegal Muslim immigrants get all of their rights and more than what Leahy thinks mere Americans should have. The 9/11 terrorists did not use ONE gun! How arrogant do these politicians have to get before Americans finally get angry?

[Hammerhead]

Anybody that doesn't think that the cops dont already know what guns you've bought from a gun dealer in the last 20 years is out of their mind. Even straw purchases. Put pressure on the seller and they will track down who currently owns the gun.

[THEUPMAN]

Ashcroft VETOED Concealed Carry in Missouri as governor of that state. Does that sound PRO-GUN to You?

yes , if he vetoed it because he understands that a permit should not be issued for an inalienable right.

got any insights as to his motives?

[Lazamataz]

And the terrorists on September 11, 2001 used how many guns?

Facts and gun-grabbers are like oil and water. You can mix them but they seperate as incompatible.

[IronJack]

Can you say "incrementalism?" Was there ever any doubt that at some point the Gestapo would get access to those records? Was anyone who favored this kind of de facto registration naive enough to believe it would stop there? This is exactly why the gun-stealers can be given NO CONCESSIONS WHATSOEVER!