WASHINGTON - The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

today applauded the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

(ATF) for its plan to issue an emergency rules change to require that

federally-licensed gun dealers near the Mexico border report multiple

sales of assault weapons.

Under

the proposal published in the Federal Register today, certain gun

dealers would be required by a “demand letter” issued by the ATF to

alert the agency when they sell two or more semi-automatic rifles

greater than .22 caliber with detachable magazines to the same person

within five consecutive business days

“It makes sense that law

enforcement should be alerted if someone is buying 5, 10, or 100 assault

weapons, when it’s likely that those guns could be headed to drug cartels in Mexico,”

said Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign. “It will give ATF

the same amount of information about people who buy military-style

assault weapons in bulk that

they already have had for more than 40 years about people who buy

handguns in bulk. It’s the kind of crime-fighting information that our

law enforcement officials ought to have if we want to reduce the number

of assault weapons being trafficked illegally to Mexico, as well as to American cities.”

While

the National Rifle Association and other gun lobby groups have already

expressed strong opposition to this attempt to stop illegal gun

trafficking and curb gun violence in Mexico, the Brady Campaign noted

that the Obama Administration has clear legal authority to require the

bulk sales reports. “Demand letters” were used during the Clinton

administration to force dealers with high crime gun traces to submit

additional information to the ATF and the courts have upheld their use.

For example, in 2001, the 4th Federal Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a

challenge to this authority by former NRA Board member and gun shop

owner Sandy Abrams, whose license was eventually revoked for massive

violations of federal gun laws.

The Brady Campaign also urged

the Obama Administration to develop a comprehensive approach to gun

violence by advancing policies to require background checks on all gun sales at gun shows,

limit the bulk sales of guns and restrict access to military-style

weapons. “Steps like these will improve our border security and our

‘hometown security’ in neighborhoods and communities of the United

States,” added Helmke.

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