Monday, May 23, 2011

Sen. Rand Paul Seeks Gun Exemption in so-called Patriot Act Legislation

From Gun Owners Of America  

The House and Senate Republican and Democratic leadership have reached a “deal” on extending three expiring provisions of post-9/11 legislation for four years. Following a procedural vote on Monday night, the real battle begins on the bill.

Gun Owners of America worked with Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) on legislation to exempt 4473’s (the form all buyers fill out when a gun is purchased from a licensed dealer) from that statute’s broad provisions. Sen. Paul will offer that amendment this week, assuming Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is not able to block the amendment from being offered.

Here’s a major concern: Assume the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) goes to the “secret court” (the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or “FISA” court) and argues, without anyone else in the room, that ALL 4473’s should be seized as “business records” because they are relevant to a terrorism investigation.

Can it do that? It’s certainly a big enough danger to warrant our concern and that of Sen. Paul.

In 1986, Congress enacted the McClure-Volkmer Firearms Owners Protection Act to limit BATFE access to 4473’s and other gun records. Such records can only be viewed as part of a “bona fide criminal investigation,” in connection with a trace, or pursuant to an annual inspection.

But under McClure-Volkmer, the BATFE clearly could not seize every 4473 in the country because of a generalized terrorism investigation.

The Paul amendment would make it clear that McClure-Volkmer is still applicable law and was not overturned by 9/11 legislation.


4 comments:

  1. Rand Paul is trying...we need more like him. A lot more!

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  2. One man alone does not git it done, and the whole bill should be scraped, so one little concesion is just that. The Patriot act is treason...period, so how is treason lite ok?? Americans are no longer fit to be called free people, and lack the stomach to do anything about it.

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  3. No, Americans are only waiting for someone to kick in the door, then the whole rotten structure will come crashing down.

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  4. If the feds can barely get their hands on "paperwork", imagine how hard it will be for those f*****s to get actual firearms...
    Good luck!
    By the way, the previous comment is correct, when bureaucrats wearing government costumes kick in doors for confiscations, THAT is when the party begins.

    ReplyDelete