House Democrats are pushing legislation that will require Americans to get government permission before buying a gun in any setting, retail or otherwise.

On January 8, 2019, Breitbart News reported that the Democrats put forward legislation criminalizing private gun sales. Such sales are those between a life-long friend and someone he or she has known for 50 years; they are sales between neighbors, sales between co-workers, etc. In fact, they are gun sales that have been occurring in the United States since December 15, 1791, the date the Second Amendment was ratified.

But Democrats are pushing to eliminate them by criminalizing anyone who sells a gun to another individual without first asking government permission via a background check.

NPR explains that the Democrats are gunning for sales that “[include] Internet sales…[sales] at gun shows and person-to-person transactions.”

Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) is sponsoring the legislation. He said, “From the public polling to the ballot box, the American people have spoken up and demanded action to help end the tragedy of gun violence that far too many in our country face every day. We will continue our fight and we will deliver.”

What he did not say is that the United States has had background checks on retail gun sales since 1998 and nearly every mass shooter of the 21st century acquired his firearms via a background check. The exceptions are those attackers who stole their guns. Therefore, expanding background checks will do nothing to stop determined attackers.

But what will be accomplished by expanding background checks is that neighbors selling to neighbors, life-long friends selling to friends, and co-workers selling to co-workers, will be criminalized for not first asking government permission.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.