Front Sight, Press

From the NRA:

U.S. House Appropriations Committee Preserves Tiahrt Amendment; Attempts to Gut Language Rejected

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Fairfax, Va. - The U.S. House Appropriations Committee voted to protect language commonly known as the Tiahrt Amendment, rejecting two separate amendments designed to strike and gut the language, in the Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2008. This language maintains firearm trace information within the law enforcement community and out of the hands of politicians, trial lawyers and special interest groups.

Rep. James Moran’s (D-VA) amendment that would have completely eliminated the Tiahrt language was defeated on a voice vote. Rep. Patrick Kennedy’s (D-RI) so-called “compromise” amendment was overwhelmingly defeated by a strong bipartisan vote of 26-40. The Kennedy Amendment would have allowed trace information to be disclosed to anyone who asks for it under the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA).

“Today’s vote is a victory for rank-and-file law enforcement,” said Chris W. Cox, NRA’s chief lobbyist. “These courageous men and women are engaged in a protracted battle with politicians who want access to this information to further a political agenda. NRA is proud to join forces with law enforcement groups and we will continue the fight to make sure this provision remains American public policy as it has for the past five years.”

The National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the Southern States Police Benevolent Association, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) all support the effort to maintain trace information exclusively within the law enforcement universe. The Tiahrt Amendment has been public policy since 2003.

Law enforcement agencies have cited concern that giving politicians access to this information will compromise the safety of all their men and women, particularly those involved in undercover work, and severely impact the integrity of on-going criminal investigations. Even New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly recognized this problem and wrote a letter of support to then-Attorney General Ashcroft in 2002. Commissioner Kelly pointed out, “The release of trace information under FOIA jeopardizes not only the investigations, but also the lives of law enforcement officers, informants, witnesses and others.” A copy of the 2002 letter is enclosed with this release.

Mayor Mike Bloomberg is leading a host of politicians and political appointees who want access to BATFE trace information to continue and expand widespread lawsuits against firearm retailers and manufacturers that were outlawed under the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act of 2005. The NRA has always maintained that the primary objective must be to arrest, prosecute and pursue maximum sentences for those who break the law and that civil lawsuits should not take precedence over criminal proceedings.

“The NRA stands steadfast with our policemen and women. It is inappropriate for any politician to try and get access to this firearm trace information to promote the agenda of the gun-control lobby. The lives of America’s rank and file law enforcement must not be used as political pawns,” concluded Cox.

Source: NRA-ILA

Whiny lies and B.S. from the Brady Bunch:

“The House Appropriations Committee today was unwilling to stand up to the gun pushers by refusing to remove restrictions that keep our law enforcement officers from being able to use crime gun data
proactively to fight illegal gun trafficking.

“The Committee preserved the worst parts of the ‘Tiahrt Amendment,’ which is opposed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Sheriffs’ Association and over thirty other national and state police organizations, as well as the nation’s Mayors. A majority of the Committee chose to protect corrupt gun dealers instead of helping law enforcement fight violent gun crime.

“On Monday, New York City Police Officer Russel Timoshenko was
critically wounded by a criminal with an illegal gun. He lies in a
hospital, fighting for his life, because of a gun trafficker. Why
anyone would vote to block law enforcement from having access to all the information it wants and needs to fight gun trafficking from
corrupt dealers is beyond me.” Source

None of the above paragraph from the Brady B.S. machine is true in any way. ATF trace data would not have prevented Officer Timoshenko from being shot. The ATF knows, to a large extent, who the rogue dealers are and ATF has been moving aggressively to shut them down. They have been far more effective than Bloomberg’s drugstore cowboys who have only succeeded in harassing a few honest guns dealers. The Bloomberg gang wants the trace data to launch spurious lawsuits designed to harass legal dealers and manufacturers.

When you hear the Bloomberg gang whine and lie, remember that The National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the Southern States Police Benevolent Association, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) all support the effort to maintain trace information exclusively within the law enforcement universe.