FBI to use Instant Registration Check to keep gun buyers' names for at least 18 months

(June 16, 1998) -- Well, the recently released FBI regulations said everything we thought they would. Yes, they want to keep the names for 18 months, and yes, they plan to impose a tax on many of the firearms purchased from gun dealers. Gun Owners of America is currently drafting its own response to the FBI regs. You can go to the GOA website at http://www.gunowners.org/bifbi1.htm and read these regs. Contact information is included so that you can send in your own comments.

The FBI's bold attempt to keep gun buyers registered for this length of time is just one more indication that the entire law needs to be repealed. Rep. Ron Paul's bill, H.R. 2721, is still picking up steam thanks to your efforts. Your phone calls, faxes and e-mails brought in a flurry of new cosponsors after the last alert dealing with this bill. Paul's bill now has 11 cosponsors, but many more could be added since there are still about 30 Reps. that have signed a GOA pledge promising to cosponsor a FULL repeal of the Brady Registration Law.

There is another bill dealing with this law that was recently introduced by Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA). GOA will include a lengthier analysis in a future alert. In brief, the bill sets out to fix a couple of the more egregious problems in the law (the illegal tax and the registration of gun buyers). While this is a step in the right direction, the bill will not stop the background check system. It is GOA's contention that as long as these background checks are taking place, there will always be the POTENTIAL for government officials to keep gun buyers' names, despite any prohibitions that are written into the law. But more on this later.

ACTION:

The only sure way to protect gun owners' privacy is to drive a stake through the heart of the beast. The registration law must be repealed in its entirety. Please look at the information below and get your Reps. on H.R. 2721, the Brady Registration Repeal.

Contact your Rep. (202-225-3121) if he's NOT listed here as a cosponsor of HR 2721:

Barcia (D-MI)         Pease (R-IN)
Coburn (R-OK)         Peterson (R-PA)
Ensign (R-NV)         Sessions (R-TX)
Hall (D-TX)           Skeen (R-NM)
Lewis (R-KY)          Wamp (R-TN)
Norwood (R-GA)

-- Clip & Fax -- (see http://www.gunowners.org/h105th.htm for fax numbers or call your Rep. and ask)

Dear Representative

I urge you to cosponsor H.R. 2721, a bill to repeal the Brady Registration Law in full. The FBI is now saying they want to register gun buyers for 18 months and impose an illegal tax on many of the firearms purchased at gun stores.

All of this is happening because of the unconstitutional Brady law that was passed almost five years ago. And, to make matters worse, the law is not even working to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. According the General Accounting Office, the Brady law resulted in only three criminals being sent to jail after its first year and a half in operation. Why should we leave a law on the books that penalizes honest citizens, but rarely punishes criminals?

It is important to me that you show your support for repealing the entire Brady Registration Act. Please cosponsor H.R. 2721. Thank you.

Sincerely,

ACTION (Part II):

The 30 Reps listed below especially need to hear from their constituents. They signed a pledge saying that they would cosponsor a bill to repeal the Brady Registration Act in FULL! Well, the only bill that does that is Ron Paul's H.R. 2721, and they still have NOT cosponsored this important legislation!

Reps. who have yet to make good on their pledge to cosponsor a FULL Brady repeal:

Boehner (R-OH)       McKeon (R-CA)
Bunning (R-KY)       Mica (R-FL)
Chambliss (R-GA)     Ney (R-OH)
Crane (R-IL)         Packard (R-CA)
Crapo (R-ID)         Poshard (D-IL)
DeLay (R-TX)         Rahall (D-WV)
Dingell (D-MI)       Riggs (R-CA)
Hansen (R-UT)        Riley (R-AL)
Hayworth (R-AZ)      Ryun (R-KS)
Holden (D-PA)        Scarborough (R-FL)
Kingston (R-GA)      Schaffer (R-CO)
Lucas (R-OK)         Shimkus (R-IL)
Manzullo (R-IL)      Snowbarger (R-KS)
Mascara (D-PA)       Watkins (R-OK)
McIntosh (R-IN)      Young (R-AK)

-- Clip & Fax this letter to Reps. that have not fulfilled their promise to cosponsor the full Brady repeal --

Dear Representative

I urge you to cosponsor H.R. 2721, a bill to repeal the Brady Registration Law in full. You pledged, in the Candidate Survey distributed by Gun Owners of America, to cosponsor a full repeal of this law.

You have been repeatedly asked by GOA and its members to cosponsor this bill. I hope that you will make good on your promise.

The FBI is now saying they want to register gun buyers for 18 months and impose an illegal tax on many of the firearms purchased at gun stores.

All of this is happening because of the unconstitutional Brady law that was passed almost five years ago. And, to make matters worse, the law is not even working to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. According the General Accounting Office, the Brady law resulted in only three criminals being sent to jail after its first year and a half in operation. Why should we leave a law on the books that penalizes honest citizens, but rarely punishes criminals?

It is important to me that you show your support for repealing the entire Brady Registration Act. Again, I hope that you will cosponsor H.R. 2721. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Some Final Notes:

1. Our May 27 alert listed the phone and fax numbers for the "Dead-Beat" Reps. that have failed to make good on their pledges. If you need those numbers again, you can get a copy by visiting http://www.gunowners.org/smu0598.htm on the GOA web page. Or, fax your request for these numbers to GOA at 703-321-8408.
2. The GOA web page contains a lot of good information on the Brady Registration Law. Point your browser to http://www.gunowners.org/bitb.htm to read the BATF and FBI regs in full, or to see an in-depth study commissioned by Gun Owners Foundation that details the Brady registration scheme, or to read the text of the Brady law as passed, or to find out who were the treacherous players working to pass this law behind the scenes back in 1993, and much, much more.