CHAIRMAN THOMPSON RETURNS TO WASHINGTON, D.C. TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT ON GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION MEASURES
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-5), Chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, returned to Washington, D.C. yesterday to meet with President Obama at the White House this afternoon. The meeting will be focused on measures the president can take to reduce and prevent gun violence.
"The Republican leadership in Congress has done nothing as gun violence has seemingly become America's new normal.The President and Democrats refuse to stand silently by.Today we are meeting with the President to discuss steps the administration can take to make our communities safer by keeping guns away from dangerous people.No one wants criminals, domestic abusers or the dangerously mentally ill to get guns, and that is where our efforts are focused. And since Republicans in Congress can't even bring themselves to hold a vote, executive action is the best option to make our country safer and save lives."
In November, 2015, Thompson sent a letter signed by 114 of his colleagues to the White House in November, 2015, urging the president to close the background check loophole through executive action. Specifically, the Members of Congress are asked the president to eliminate the ambiguity surrounding the term: "engaged in the business" as it pertains to federally licensed firearms dealers. Under current law, only licensed gun dealers are required to perform background checks for all gun sales, and only those individuals deemed to be "engaged in the business" of dealing in guns are required to obtain a license from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Clarifying the term would require sellers determined to be "engaged in the business" to obtain a license and conduct criminal background checks. Currently, background checks are not required by federal law for sales made at gun shows, over the internet or through classified ads.
The full text of the letter is below.
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500-0004
Mr. President:
Gun violence continues to go unchecked in our country. Communities are ravaged and lives are senselessly cut short. Every day, close to 30 Americans are killed by someone using a gun. Following yet another horrific mass shooting in Roseburg, Oregon, it is unthinkable that our country can continue to turn a blind eye to these tragedies.
However, despite tragedy after tragedy, the Republican Congress has not been willing to pass any meaningful legislation to strengthen laws to help keep guns out of the hands of individuals who pose an increased risk to public safety.
In the face of Congressional inaction, your administration could take an immediate step that would have an important impact on limiting gun violence. Specifically, we urge that you address an aspect of the private sale loophole that allows guns to be sold without a background check, by eliminating the ambiguity surrounding the term: "engaged in the business" as it pertains to federally licensed firearms dealers.
Under current law, only licensed gun dealers are required to perform background checks for all gun sales, and only those individuals deemed to be "engaged in the business" of dealing in guns are required to obtain a license from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). However, the regulatory definition of "engaged in the business," is exceptionally vague. As a result, individuals are able to sell guns at a high volume at gun shows, over the internet, or elsewhere without ever having becoming licensed and, in turn, without being compelled to conduct a simple background check before completing a sale.
Updating the definition of "engaged in the business" to provide more explicit guidance as to which gun sellers are required to obtain a federal firearms license will help ensure that individuals are not able to continue to exploit this ambiguity in the current regulation and sell guns at a high volume without any oversight by ATF and without conducting background checks. This type of action is not without precedent, as many states have provided this type of explicit guidance regarding which vendors engaged in retail sales in the state are required to collect states' sales tax. This change would be a positive step forward in closing the private sale loophole, a policy change that roughly 90 percent of Americans support. It would help ensure that those clearly holding themselves out as gun dealers are held to the same standard as the thousands of responsible gun dealers already licensed with ATF across the country.
Thank you for your continued efforts to reduce gun violence and for your consideration of executive action that could save lives. We look forward to continuing to work together on ways to prevent gun violence.
Sincerely,
Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California's 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma Counties. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee. Rep. Thompson is also a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition and chairs the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus.
# # #