ENGEL STATEMENT ON COURT RULING ON 3-D PRINTED GUNS

WASHINGTON—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement regarding a preliminary injunction from the U.S. District Court in Seattle stopping the publication on the internet of software for the 3-D printing of guns:

“Even with Judge Lasnik’s injunction pausing the release of software for the 3-D printing of guns, Congress must act to prevent the unrestricted global proliferation of these weapons. If the Trump Administration gets its way, anyone—even terrorists and criminals—with a laptop and a 3-D printer would be able to build undetectable guns. When Congress reconvenes, I will introduce legislation to amend the Arms Export Control Act to require that the technical information needed to manufacture these weapons cannot be exported via the Internet without a U.S. government license. This has been the longstanding policy of the United States and it shouldn't change.”