The U.S. House Judiciary Committee today approved by voice vote one of the three National Rifle Association (NRA)-backed bills-H.R. 5092-that has the backing of most of the Colorado Republican congressional delegation along with Democrat Ken Salazar.
According to the Brady Campaign Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence, H.R. 5092 would undermine the ability of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) to crack down on gun dealers who violate the law.“If H.R. 5092 became law, gun stores – even those with hundreds of violations of federal law – could continue doing business with no threat of having their federal licenses revoked,” reads an alert from the group.
The NRA characterizes the legislation as clarifying the system of penalties the BATF can impose.
While the committee considered a second NRA-backed bill, H.R. 5005, there was no time left to take a vote; time also ran out before the committee discussed the third bill, H.R. 1384. However, during deliberation on H.R. 5005, an amendment was accepted that would prohibit gun possession by people who have a conviction for a misdemeanor sex offense against a minor, a provision support by gun control groups.
[crossposted at Muckraking Mom]
