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CeaseFire Urges President Obama to Support Gun Tracing

February 19th, 2009, blog post by kmcomer

Before President Obama publishes his budget we wanted to urge him to make good on his promise to us to strike the Tiahrt Amendment from the budget.  Here's what I wrote:

February 20, 2009

Dear President Obama:

I write to you on behalf of the members of Washington CeaseFire, a non-profit organization in Washington State working to reduce gun violence.

For several years, Congress has undermined law enforcement efforts to combat gun trafficking by passing the Tiahrt Amendments, the annual appropriations riders that restrict the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Guns, and Explosives (ATF) from releasing crucial crime-fighting information to cities and states. We urgently request that you keep your promise to strike the Tiahrt Amendments from your FY 2010 budget to help stop the flow of illegal guns into our communities.

Each year gun trafficking takes a grave toll on all of us. We lose two people every day to gun violence in our state -- over five times the number we lose to AIDS. Our law enforcement officials must have EVERY tool possible at their disposal to combat this epidemic.

Should the Tiahrt Amendments remain in effect we will continue to cripple trafficking investigations at all levels of law enforcement. The Tiahrt Amendments prevent state and local police from accessing and using gun trace data which would help them to identify gun dealers and individuals who may be involved in illegal gun trafficking operations. The Amendments also hinder the Federal Bureau of Investigation by requiring that the Bureau destroy certain NICS background check records after only 24 hours. ATF's ability to require federally licensed gun dealers to check their inventories and detect lost and stolen guns is blocked as well.

In addition, prior to the Tiahrt restrictions, researchers produced several important studies using crime gun trace data that have informed efforts to keep guns from criminals. Subsequent research of this type has been obstructed by Tiahrt. Removal of the Tiahrt Amendments will allow researchers to resume work helpful in identifying solutions to gun trafficking.

We thank you for all you do for our country and we ask that you continue your commitment to work for a better America by striking the Tiahrt Amendments from your 2010 budget.

Sincerely, Kristen Comer, Executive Director Washington CeaseFire