Firearms Measure Surprises Some in GOP (Drafted w/ NRA's Help)

[Khephra]

Rep. Todd Tiahrt (Kan.) surprised many of his fellow Republicans last week when he offered a lengthy amendment, blessed by the National Rifle Association, to the 2004 funding bill for the Commerce, Justice and State departments.

Tiahrt's eight-point amendment, which targets the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and was drafted with the NRA's help, would prohibit the use of federal funds for several bureau activities. It would prevent the bureau from requiring firearms dealers to conduct a physical inventory, from denying licenses to dealers whose sales fall below a certain level, and from demanding that certain dealers provide documentation for all used guns sold in a specific period.

Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.), who chairs the appropriations subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and State, objected to the amendment, saying he had not had time to review it. "They may all have been good amendments, they may not," Wolf said. "I just didn't have an opportunity to go through and look at them. I could not accept an amendment without knowing what all the provisions do."

Tiahrt refused to withdraw the amendment and won passage on a 31 to 30 vote. Before the vote, Tiahrt assured colleagues the NRA had reviewed the language, which won over some Democrats as well as several Republicans. "I wanted to make sure I was fulfilling the needs of my friends who are firearms dealers," Tiahrt said. NRA officials "were helpful in making sure I had my bases covered."

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20371-2003Jul20.html

[MrBenchley]

1. What a scummy bill

Puts the lie to that "law abiding gun owner" myth, doesn't it....the only beneficiaries of this amendment are criminals and the gun dealers who sell to them....

[damnraddem]

8. A scummy bill ...

from one of the scummiest of congressmen.

[ward919]

2. Why isn't this being covered in the media.

I bet the "Security moms" would be up in arms....I mean upset.

[GOPFighter]

3. Why not just drop the "F"...

...from ATF. Everyone knows that all gun owners, at the time of their purchase, automatically become a law-abiding, god-fearing, American patriot who would never, ever commit a crime with a firearm.

Anyone want to bet that the majority of those jerks who snap and begin randomly shooting coworkers etc. that we hear about with depressing regularity are NRA members?

:puke:

[demdave]

4. I'll cover that bet.........start doing the research

Or were you just trying to cover a baseless assumption?

[GOPFighter]

5. It's a rhetorical question based on...

...some personal experiences with NRA members. Since the NRA, of course, will not aloow anyone to examine their membership lists, the only way to determine membership would be to interview those closest to the shooter, something the press should do, but doesn't.

Still, I firmly believe that an investigation would show that the majority of those who have snapped and killed multiple innocent victims were NRA members. You may believe the opposite. So be it.

[demdave]

6. You mean you know NRA members that have snapped?

and done something like this?

[GOPFighter]

7. Yes

He snapped, got a poor rating by his boss, walked back to his desk, called his gun dealer and ordered ammunition and said he would be over to pick it up soon. He was fired and escorted out of the building. Had to hire a security force to insure he didn't try to enter the building again. He was a self-proclaimed NRA member, wore a jacket with NRA on the back. Want more? Oh, yeah, I work for the government so you, the tax payer, picked up the bill for the hightened security force.

:mad:

[reprobate]

9. Yes. Me.

I snapped.

When they supported the super talon ammunition I snapped.

Took my life membership card, snapped it in two, and mailed both pieces back to them.

Haven't read about or thought about rejoining since then.

AFAIC, they have turned into nothing more than a marketing tool for the arms manufacturers.

And lest you think me some kind of anti-gun freak, let me state that I'm a former LEO, current owner of both handguns and longguns. I'm not opposed to private ownership of guns. Just to the one guns spokesman's organization taking money from the people and using it to further the wishes of the industry.

[Set]

10. "Super Talon"?

"When they supported the super talon ammunition I snapped."

What's that? I've never heard of that.