Congressional Gun Violence Task Force Announces Vice Chairs

[DonViejo]

Last edited Fri Jan 4, 2013, 03:48 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: TPM


IGOR BOBIC 1:44 PM EST, FRIDAY JANUARY 4, 2013

Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), who chairs President Obama's Gun Violence Prevention Task Force organized in the wake of the Newtown, Conn. school shooting, announced on Friday 12 vice chairs who will also serve on the body.

“Our vice chairs have a wide range of expertise, come from different backgrounds representing all corners of the House Democratic Caucus, and will bring unique ideas to the table as we work to reduce and prevent gun violence while also protecting the rights of law-abiding individuals without a history of dangerous mental illness to own legitimate firearms for legitimate purposes," Thompson said in a statement.

The vice chairs include:

Rep. Ron Barber (AZ)

Rep. John D. Dingell (MI)

Rep. Bill Enyart (IL)

Rep. Elizabeth Esty (CT)

Rep. Chaka Fattah (PA)

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (NY)

Rep. Grace Napolitano (CA)

Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO)

Rep. David Price (NC)

Rep. Bobby Scott (VA)

Rep. Jackie Speier (CA)

Rep. Bennie Thompson (MS)

Correction: This post incorrectly referred to President Obama's gun violence task force, instead of the congressional gun violence task force organized by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). We regret the error.

-30-

Read more: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/obamas-gun-violence-task-force-announces-vice-chairs

[LynneSin]

1. I wish there was a way Gabby Giffords could be a part of it

I think she knows better then any of these folks about the issues with gun violence. Plus for the republicans on the panel they would have to look at someone who was a victim of gun crimes each time the panel would meet.

Of course Giffords is retired now.

I do like he included people like Chakah Fattah - he's in the heart of Philly where gun violence has a serious impact.

[Lurks Often]

2. Gabby Giffords is a gun owner

or at least was at the time of the shooting. I am not aware that Gabby Giffords made any statement afterward that indicated that she had changed her mind about owning a gun or supporting gun control.

[AtheistCrusader]

3. She's going to meet with the families at Sandy Hook.

Obviously I don't know her agenda for that meeting, but I think she could be an effective and useful voice on this panel. I too, am a gun owner, but I would support her being a part of it, if she desires so.

[LynneSin]

7. I don't care that she's a gun owner

I suspect that Gabby is a responsible gun owner who has no problems with background checks and registrations.

It's not just about owning guns - it's about responsible gun ownership - something we don't do very well in the states. That and the lack of affordable mental health.

[Lurks Often]

10. Now you are in to the differences between Federal and State law

Any firearm purchased from a FFL (Federal Firearms Dealer) requires a background check, either at the time of sale or for those of us who have permits, the background check was done when we applied for the permit.

Any transfer of firearms across state lines has to go through a FFL

Instate transfers of firearms between individuals is governed by state law, which varies.

I suspect any change in that would be strongly resisted by the states, less because of the firearm part and more because it would set legal precedent under the Commerce clause and would further allow the Federal government to affect in state activities.

[DanTex]

23. Another empty NRA talking point.

There is already ample precedent for the Federal Government to regulate instate transfers of firearms. For example, the National Firearms Act requires that all transfers (all of them: intrastate or interstate, private or through FFLs) of Title II weapons be registered with the Federal Government, including a background check much more extensive than what is required to buy a Title I weapon from a gun store.

So this whole story that the Federal Government doesn't have the power to require background checks on private gun transfers is plainly idiotic. The problem is political. The NRA wants to keep the loophole in place because paranoid gun nuts want to be able to buy and sell guns without the government knowing about it.

[former9thward]

16. Giffords urged the Surpreme Court to reject the DC gun ban in Heller.

She signed an Amicus Brief to the court.

June 26, 2008

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today the U.S. Supreme Court released a decision to strike down the District of Columbia's ban on handgun ownership as unconstitutional. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords released the following statement in support of the court's ruling:
"As a gun owner, I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. In February, I was proud to sign the Amicus Brief in District of Columbia v. Heller asking the Supreme Court to uphold the lower court ruling that overturned the long standing DC gun ban.

This is a common sense decision that reaffirms the Constitutional right - and Arizona tradition - of owning firearms. I commend the Court for ruling in favor of restoring our right to bear arms."


http://www.thepoliticalguide.com/Profiles/House/Arizona/Gabrielle_Giffords/Views/The_Second_Amendment/

[AtheistCrusader]

4. I don't think the republicans will care.

Did they ever run out of busses to throw James Brady under?

[JustAnotherGen]

6. Don't overlook

Representative McCarthy knowledge . . . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolyn_McCarthy

On December 7, 1993, her husband, Dennis, was killed and her son, Kevin, severely injured on a Long Island Rail Road commuter train at the Merillon Avenue station, when spree killer, Colin Ferguson, opened fire on passengers.[4] Ferguson killed six and wounded 19 others.[5] McCarthy responded to the crime by launching a campaign for more stringent gun control that eventually propelled her to Congress in 1996 on the Democratic ticket. She defeated freshman Republican Dan Frisa by a large margin.

McCarthy responded to the crime by launching a campaign for more stringent gun control that eventually propelled her to Congress in 1996 on the Democratic ticket. She defeated freshman Republican Dan Frisa by a large margin.

In the biographical 1998 television movie The Long Island Incident, which portrayed these events, she was played by actress Laurie Metcalf.[6]

US House of RepresentativesMcCarthy has been described as “the doyenne of anti-gun advocates in the House” and “the fiercest gun-control advocate in Congress.”[7][8] She has made attempts to broaden her policy portfolio, but hasn't been able to shed the label of being a one-issue congresswoman. She has acknowledged this, and in 2009 said that although she is also known for her education and district work, she is still the "gun lady".[9]

McCarthy was a registered Republican before her first run for Congress. She has "evolved over the years into a reliable Democratic vote. She has voted with her party 98.1 percent of the time during the 111th Congress."[9]

She gets it - it's what propelled her to serve her country.

[PavePusher]

12. "shoulder thing that goes up" is the extent of her "knowledge".

And she doesn't seem to have studied up since that infamous utterance.

[JustAnotherGen]

13. She knows what I know

A bullet is a bullet and it kills someone you love.

Wendell Maddox, April 13th 1991. Bullet to the back of the head the same day he found out he was going to AU Law School on full scholarship.

That's all I need to know. Oh - and he was an avid hunter as all the men in my family are who wasn't a dirt bag with a gun. She gets dirt bags - just like I do.

[Paladin]

17. So You Don't Like Having Rep. McCarthy On The Task Force?

Tough shit.

By the way: Over in the Politics 2013 Forum, there's a thread with quotes from Rep. Louie Gohmert (Dumbfuck R-TX) in which he claims both hammers and machetes can rightfully be considered as "Assault Weapons." Tell me---do you consider Gohmert's comments "infamous," or do you confine that terminology to Democrats without A ratings from the NRA? Extra points for an honest response....

[JustAnotherGen]

18. I looked

At the posters profile - Gun Enthusiast based upon posting stats.

Nothing wrong with that - probably an expert on their usage.

But those of us that have lost family members due to one bullet, from one handgun, in the hands of one bad guy - we have an expertise too. And that needs to be acknowledged.

I was very clear on a thread in META that Sandyhook did not change my feelings on the issue. My feelings got changed when I was senior in high school and lost my cousin that was a Senior at University to one bullet, shot from one handgun, by one dirtbag.

It was a tragedy when a young black man who had value and worth in this world got murdered by bullet from a gun shot by a little punk trying to impress someone. And the tragedies just seem to keep coming. Between Trayvon Martin and a school teacher shielding children - I'm done.

Dirtbags exist - and we need to prevent them from buying bullets.

[Paladin]

19. I Couldn't Agree With You More. Sorry For Your Loss. (nt)

[Ptah]

14. Gabby's replacement, Rep. Ron Barber (AZ) , was shot the same time as Gabby.

I'm sure he knows just as well as she does about the issues with gun violence.

[CBHagman]

20. At least her successor, Ron Barber, is on it, and so is Carolyn McCarthy.

Barber:

[url]http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/18/us/politics/ron-barber-former-aide-to-gabrielle-giffords-wins-seat-count-finds.html?_r=0[/url]

For Mr. Barber, it has been a long journey to a full term in Congress. He was with Ms. Giffords at an event in a Tucson shopping center in 2011 when a gunman opened fire, killing six people. Mr. Barber was shot in his groin and cheek, and he spent months in physical therapy. When Ms. Giffords stepped down from Congress, Mr. Barber decided to run for her seat.

As for Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), she too knows well the costs of gun violence: Her husband, Dennis, was killed and her son, Kevin, seriously injured when a gunman opened fire on a Long Island commuter train.

[underpants]

21. Bobby Scott is an interesting choice - a lot (maybe most) of the guns in DC, NYC, and Boston

are bought in his district.

[Lurks Often]

24. I'm sure you have proof from a reputable source to back that up? n/t

[underpants]

29. No not really -- but this will give you a good idea of what I meant

In Study Of Gun Traffic, Va. Stands Out
Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Virginia also was among the top sources of guns recovered by authorities in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and South Carolina, the data show. In New York, more recovered guns came from Virginia than from any other outside state -- roughly one of 11 traced.

"Somebody coined I-95 'the iron pipeline,' " said Mike Campbell, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which released the report yesterday. "There's a lot of traffic moving up and down 95."

Most of the guns traced by the ATF came from the states where they were recovered, the agency said. The vast majority of guns tied to Virginia were also recovered there. But Virginia was the second-leading source for many other states along the East Coast.

In the District, which has one of the toughest gun laws in the country, authorities traced nearly 1,100 guns. Of those, 289 were from Maryland and 277 from Virginia. The District was the only city analyzed in the ATF's report.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/20/AR2007082002010.html


Gun show loophole in Virginia

Monday, December 13, 2010

NEW YORK (WABC) -- When a gun is used in a crime in New York, there's a good chance the weapon came from Virginia.


That's because the state is the number one source for illegal guns entering the city.

Federal investigators say Virginia gun shows could be a major factor.
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/investigators&id=7841676

Virginia’s Gift to Gunrunners
Published: February 29, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/01/opinion/virginias-gift-to-gunrunners.html?_r=0

[Lurks Often]

32. Then they should be arrested

and I'm sure the state of Virginia would be happy to prosecute them under Virginia Exile, "the Commonwealth's statewide program which carries bail restrictions and imposes a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in a Virginia prison for those who:
*have a prior conviction for a violent felony and are convicted of possessing a firearm;
*are convicted of possessing a firearm on school property with the intent to use it, or displaying it in a threatening manner;
*are convicted of possessing a firearm and Schedule I or II drugs such as cocaine or heroin, or convicted of possessing more than a pound of marijuana with the intent to sell."

There is no such thing as a "gun show loophole".

Any firearm purchased from a FFL (Federal Firearms Dealer) requires a background check, either at the time of sale or for those of us who have permits, the background check was done when we applied for the permit.

Any transfer of firearms across state lines has to go through a FFL.

In-state transfers of firearms between individuals is governed by state law, which varies from state to state and I suspect any change in that would be strongly resisted by the states, less because of the firearm part and more because it would set legal precedent under the Commerce clause and would further allow the Federal government to affect in-state activities.

[underpants]

33. And when they get caught red handed...

According to the suit filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, New York police recovered 22 guns between 1994 and 2002, including some used in homicides, that they said were sold by at Bob Moate's. In March 2006, New York sent a man and woman into the store to confirm its suspicion that the store was making illegal gun sales.

"Once the male investigator selected a gun and indicated a desire to purchase it, the female investigator, who had not been part of the discussion, approached the counter to make the purchase," the suit alleges. The woman filled out the required paperwork, but then the man came and paid cash for the gun, the suit says.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/09/AR2007050902573.html



Richard Gardiner, the store's attorney, says his client has "no connection" to New York's gun violence. He also accuses the investigators of tricking his clients into making the sale.

"If anything, these dealers are the victims," Gardiner said.

[Lurks Often]

34. You'll have to take that up with the prosecutors n/t

[hack89]

5. Need to correct the title of your OP

Correction: This post incorrectly referred to President Obama's gun violence task force, instead of the congressional gun violence task force organized by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). We regret the error.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/obamas-gun-violence-task-force-announces-vice-chairs

[DonViejo]

8. Thank you hack89...

I was wondering why Rep. Mike Thompson was ID'd as the chair.

[Jennicut]

9. Elzabeth Esty is the Rep for Newtown. And my Rep as well.

I live in the 5th district in CT, in Terryville.

I am very happy she is one of the chairs.

[NickB79]

11. Are any of the names on that list GOP?

Not that I'd really want them to be on it in the first place, but unless we can get SOME support from moderate Republicans, any gun control legislation will be dead on arrival in the House. Having one or two of the most moderate Republicans on the panel might have helped get some decent legislation passed.

[bossy22]

15. What's considered a legitimate purpose?

[hack89]

25. Self defense, hunting and shooting sports come immediately to mind. nt

[ileus]

26. And legitimate firearm...

Humm something tells me only fudd guns are going to be considered legitimate.

[Paladin]

27. Golly. Do You Think Your "270 BAR" Will Make The Cut? (nt)

[NickB79]

28. A .270 BAR is a legitimate semi-auto hunting rifle

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=browning+BAR&FORM=HDRSC2#view=detail&id=A8C091364A269792E136BA3A633B38947A46F47C&selectedIndex=18

So yes, I'd think so.

If laws were passed that were so restrictive even a BAR was restricted, you'd see most firearms in the US on the banned list.

And that would be political suicide.

[Paladin]

31. You Missed The Back Story, NickB79.

On an earlier thread, Ileus asked gun control advocates if they knew what the purpose of his "270 BAR" was (I had to correct him by adding a "." before the "270", a mistake I notice you didn't make). Ileus obviously did this in such a way as to solicit uninformed opinions about his firearm. He, like so many DU Gun Enthusiasts, didn't count on a gun control supporter being knowledgeable about guns. Fail.

[slackmaster]

22. By Wednesday or Thursday next week they'll announce the Assistant Vice Chairs.

And maybe the Alternate Assistant Vice Chairs.

They'll have a kickoff ceremony and banquet by mid-February.

[blueclown]

30. Seriously!

Send a bill to the floor tommorrow! What are they waiting for?